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AA. 

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Harlem  River  Ship  Canal 

LETTER  FROM 

SIMON  STEVENS 

TO  THE 

COMMISSIONERS  OF  THE  SINKING  FUND 

OF  THE   CITY   OF  NEW  YORK. 

December  25,  1891. 


Accompanied  by  Colton's  Map  (30"  x  40")  of  that  part  of  the  City  of  New  York, 
northerly  of  93d  Street  to  Kingsbridge,  upon  which  is  shown  the  Bulkhead 
and  Pierhead  lines  of  both  shores  of  the  Harlem  River  and  Spuyten  Duyvil 
Creek,  from  Ward's  Island  to  the  Hudson  River,  as  recommended  by 
the  New  York  Harbor  Line  Board,  and  approved  by  the  Secretary 
of  War,  Oct.  18,  1890,  for  Canal  purposes.    This  Map  also 
illustrates  the  project  of  building  a  COVERED  WATER- 
WAY, 60  feet  wide,  on  the  westerly  side  of  the 
Harlem  River,  from  the  easterly  side  of  Third 
Avenue  to  165th  Street,  and  filling  in 
the  river  between  those  points,  so  that 
the  Avenues  and  Streets  of  Harlem 
may    be    extended  into 

MORRISANIA. 


Handed  to  the  Mayor,  January  20,  1892,  for  presentation  to  the  Commissioners  of 
the  Sinking  Fund  at  their  next  meeting. 


Presented  to  the  Commissioners,  March  2,  1892,  and,  on  motion  of  the  Recorder, 

was  laid  on  the  table. 


To  which  is  added  an  Appendix,  and  a  Miniature  Map  of  New  York  City  and  Vicinity 


March  8,  1892. 


C.  G.  BURGOYNE,  PRINTER,  146-150  CENTRE  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 


MIKtAT'JRE  MAP  OF  THE 

CITY  OF  NEW  YORK, 

SHOWING  PROJECT  OF 

A  COVERED  WATER-WAY 

60  feet  wide,  on  the  Westerly  Side  of 
the  Harlem  River,  between  Third  and 
Eighth  Avenues,  and  filling  in  between 
those  points,  so  that  the  avenues  and 
streets  of  Harlem  may  be  extended 
into  Morrisania,  as  specified  in  a  com- 
munication to  the  Commissioners  of 
the  Sinking  Fund,  according  to  Plans 
suggested  by 

SIMON  STEVENS  and 

G.  THADDEUS  STEVENS, 
New  York,  Dec.  25,  1891.       61  BROADWAY 
Proposed  Filling  in,  P 


OFFICES  OF 

SIMON  STEVENS, 
61  BROADWAY, 

NEW  YORK. 

SIMON  STEVENS. 

G.  THADDEUS  STEVENS. 

61  Broadway, 
New  York,  December  25,  1891. 

To  the  Honorable  the  Commissioners  of  the  Sinking  Fund  : 

Gentlemen — By  a  communication  from  the  Department  of  Docks 
under  date  of  July  31,  1891,  you  were  apprised  of  the  passage  of  a  Resolu- 
tion of  the  Board  of  Docks,  approving  certain  plans  that  had  been  pre- 
pared by  its  Engineer-in-Chief,  having  for  its  object  a  proposed  improve- 
ment of  the  westerly  side  of  the  Harlem  River  for  dock  purposes,  from  the 
central  line  of  East  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth  street  to  the  westerly 
side  of  Seventh  avenue  at  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth  street,  and  asking 
your  approval  of  such  plans. 

The  communication  was  referred  by  you  to  the  Honorable  Comptroller 
for  examination  and  report.  The  Comptroller  in  turn  referred  it  to  Mr. 
McLean,  the  Engineer  of  the  Finance  Department,  who  made  a  careful 
study  and  a  report  upon  the  proposed  improvement,  which  the  Comptrol- 
ler submitted  to  the  Commissioners  of  the  Sinking  Fund  September  8, 
1891,  enclosing  therewith  the  communication  from  the  Department  of 
Docks,  as  follows  :    [See  Minutes  of  Sinking  Fund  of  Sept.  8,  1891.] 

City  of  New  York,  Department  of  Docks, 

Pier  "A"  North  River,  Battery  Place. 

New  York,  July  31,  1891. 

Hon.  Hugh  J.  Grant,  Mayor,  and  Chairman  of  the  Commissioners  of  the  Sinking 
Fund  : 

Sir — At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  governing  this  Department  held  30th  instant, 
the  following  resolution  was  adopted  : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  plans  prepared  and  submitted  by  the  Engineer-in-Chief  of 
this  Department  for  the  improvement  of  the  water  front  along  the  westerly  side  of 
the  Harlem  River  from  the  centre  line  of  East  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth 
street  to  the  westerly  side  of  Seventh  avenue  be  and  hereby  is  approved  by  the 
Department,  and  it  be  and  hereby  is  determined  as  the  plan  for  the  improvement  of 
the  water  front  thereat ;  and  be  it  further 

"Resolved,  That  the  Commissioners  of  the  Sinking  Fund  be  and  they  hereby 
are  requested  to  approve  of  the  plan  for  the  improvement  of  the  water  front 
thereat." 

Yours  respectfully, 

Edwin  A.  Post, 

President. 

Which  was  referred  to  the  Comptroller. 


2 


Finance  Department,  Comptroller's  Office, 
September  8,  1891. 

To  the  Commissioners  of  the  Sinking  Fund  : 

Gentlemen — I  present  herewith  a  communication  from  the  Department  of 
Docks,  accompanied  by  a  plan  of  the  improvement  approved  and  determined  for 
the  water  front  along  the  westerly  side  of  the  Harlem  River,  from  the  centre  line  of 
East  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth  street  to  the  westerly  line  of  Seventh  avenue, 
and  requesting  the  approval  of  this  Board  to  the  plan  for  the  improvement  of  the 
water  front  at  that  location. 

The  plan  was  by  me  referred  to  the  Engineer  of  the  Finance  Department,  who 
has  made  a  careful  study  of  the  proposed  improvement,  and  whose  report  in  detail 
is  also  submitted.  While  not  wishing  to  interrupt  the  advancement  of  the  neces- 
sary improvement  of  the  Harlem  River,  I  am  of  opinion  that,  in  a  matter  of  this  im- 
portance, involving,  as  it  must,  an  expenditure  of  several  millions  of  dollars,  great 
diversity  of  opinion ;  and,  where  radical  changes  are  made  in  the  direction  of  the 
streets  as  now  laid  down  on  the  map  of  the  City,  steps  should  be  taken  to  secure  a 
full  and  free  expression  of  the  views  of  those  most  interested  in  this  great  public 
work  :  and,  that  before  taking  any  action  upon  the  plans  as  submitted  by  the  De- 
partment of  Docks,  a  public  hearing  should  be  held,  where  all  parties  in  interest 
could  be  heard,  and  whose  views  could  be  subsequently  considered. 

Respectfully, 

Tiieo.  W.  Myers, 

Comptroller. 


Report  of  Mr.  McLean. 

Comptroller's  Office, 
September  8,  1891. 

Hon.  Theodore  W.  Myers,  Comptroller  : 

Sir— At  the  meeting  of  the  Board  controlling  the  Department  of  Docks,  held 
on  the  30th  July,  1891,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted  : 

11  Resolved,  That  the  plan  prepared  and  submitted  by  the  Engineer-in-Chief  of 
li  this  Department  for  the  improvement  of  the  water  front  along  the  westerly  side 
••  of  the  Harlem  River,  from  the  centre  line  of  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth 
"  street  to  the  westerly  side  of  Seventh  avenue,  be  and  hereby  is  approved  by  this 
"  Department,  and  it  be  and  hereby  is  determined  as  the  plan  for  the  improvement 
"  of  the  water  front  thereat;  and  be  it  further 

"Resolved,  That  the  Commissioners  of  the  Sinking  Fund  be,  and  they  are 
"  hereby,  requested  to  approve  of  the  plan  for  the  improvement  of  the  water  front 
"  thereat." 

The  total  length  of  this  water  front,  between  the  points  named,  is  5,309.96  feet. 

The  land  under  water,  to  the  bulkhead  line  of  1857,  has  been  granted  from  the 
centre  line  of  the  block  between  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth  and  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-first  streets  to  the  northerly  limit  of  this  proposed  improvement ;  south  of  this 
centre  line  to  the  southerly  limit  of  the  improvement  it  has  not  been  granted. 

The  plan  of  the  City,  at  the  time  these  grants  were  made,  extends  the  streets 
and  avenues  to  an  exterior  street,  seventy  feet  in  width,  along  the  whole  of  the 
water  front  between  the  points  under  consideration. 


3 


The  grants  require,  in  one  of  the  covenants,  that  the  grantees  shall,  at  their 
own  proper  costs  and  charges,  build,  erect,  make  and  finish  good  and  sufficient 
bulkheads,  wharves,  streets  or  avenues,  roads  or  bridges,  which  shall  form  so  much 
and  such  parts  of  street  or  streets,  avenue  or  avenues,  road  or  roads,  bridge  or 
bridges  that  may  now  or  hereafter  be  designated  or  laid  out  through  said  premises, 
according  to  law,  as  fall  within  the  limits  of  the  premises,  and  will  fill  in  the  same 
with  good  and  sufficient  earth  and  regulate  and  pave  the  same  and  lay  the  sidewalks 
thereof,  etc. 

The  proposed  plan  appears  to  contemplate  a  very  large  trade  along  this  line,  to 
provide  for  which  it  breaks  up  the  bulkhead  line  by  fourteen  slips,  from  100  feet  to 
226  feet  in  width,  and  from  200  feet  to  600  feet  in  depth.  Instead  of  a  bulkhead  of 
5,304  feet  it  provides  an  actual  business  bulkhead  of  16,404  feet. 

The  plan  also  includes  a  street,  necessarily  crooked,  at  the  back  of  the  slips,  of 
150  feet  in  width. 

The  business  that  may  be  expected  on  this  line  is,  in  a  measure,  speculative. 
The  Harlem  River  improvement,  now  well  underway,  when  completed,  will  doubt- 
less open  a  very  large  commerce  through  Harlem  River,  but  there  is  no  reason  to 
expect  that  the  business  here  will  be  particularly  affected,  except  by  the  increased 
facility  of  access. 

The  width  of  the  river  between  bulkheads  has  been  fixed  at  400  feet,  and,  it 
appears  to  me,  that  for  many  years  this  width  will  be  sufficient,  both  for  the  pass- 
ing and  the  landing  traffic. 

The  plan  of  the  Department  seems  to  provide  for  all  the  possibilities  of  the 
future,  whereas,  I  think,  it  should  only  deal  with  the  probabilities.  If  hereafter 
more  bulkhead  room  should  be  required  it  could  be  easily  obtained,  but  it  does  not 
look  to  me  like  true  economy  to  lay  down  a  system  now  which  might  never  be 
wanted. 

For  all  the  demands  of  trade  that  we  can  see  now,  it  appears  to  me  that  the 
straight  bulkhead  would  be  sufficient,  or,  at  furthest,  one  only  broken  up  by  three 
or  four  slips. 

I  think  the  exterior  street  should  be  80  or  100  feet  wide,  and  run  along  the  bulk- 
head and  around  the  slips  so  as  to  give  free  access  to  the  bulkhead  everywhere. 
The  width  of  the  marginal  street  given  on  the  plan,  150  feet,  is  greater  than  is  neces- 
sary. 

The  adoption  of  the  plan  proposed  by  the  Department  does  not  involve  any 
present  expenditure  by  the  City,  but  in  the  future  questions  of  great  moment  will 
arise,  in  which  the  value  of  the  land  to  be  taken  for  slips  and  the  building  of  the 
bulkheads  will  be  prominent  and  expensive  items.  The  great  amount  of  dredging 
necessary  to  keep  these  proposed  slips  in  condition  will  also  be  a  constant  item  of 
expense. 

The  enclosed  diagram,  drawn  roughly  to  scale,  shows  the  positions  of  the  pro- 
posed slips  with  their  widths  and  depths. 
There  are  fourteen  (14)  of  them. 

Their  total  area  is  884,000  square  feet,  equal  to  about  354  city  lots. 

The  building  of  them  will  require  11,000  lineal  feet  of  crib  or  bulkhead  work, 
in  addition  to  the  regular  bulkhead  of  5,304  feet,  and  an  immense  amount  of  dredg- 
ing inside  the  regular  bulkhead. 

Respectfully, 

Eug.  E.  McLean, 

Engineer. 


4 


"  Which  were  referred  to  a  Committee  consisting  of  the  Comptroller  and  the 
City  Chamberlain,  with  directions  to  confer  with  the  Commissioners  of  Docks,  and 
make  arrangements  for  a  joint  meeting,  at  which  persons  interested  may  be  heard 
in  regard  to  the  proposed  improvement." 

The  action  of  the  Board  of  Docks  above  referred  to  is  truly  char- 
acterized by  the  Comptroller  and  by  Mr.  McLean,  the  distinguished 
Engineer  of  the  Finance  Department. 

The  plan  proposed  by  the  Dock  Department  is  inimical  to  the  true 
interests  of  the  City  of  New  York,  the  commercial  as  well  as  the  finan- 
cial metropolis  of  this  hemisphere,  and  destined  ere  long  to  become 
that  of  the  whole  world. 

The  neglect  to  improve  the  water  front  on  the  North  and  East  Rivers 
below  Forty-second  street,  for  the  Harlem  River,  fully  explains  why  foreign 
commerce  is  driven  from  New  York  to  Hoboken,  Jersey  City,  Brooklyn 
and  Gowanus  Bay. 

While  the  scheme  of  canalizing  the  Harlem  River  and  Spuyten  Duyvil 
Creek  has  been  drawing  its  slow  length  along,  the  march  of  improvement 
on  the  upper  end  of  Manhattan  Island  has  been  so  stupendous  that  there 
has  developed  a  great  necessity  for  practically  closing  to  navigation  that 
part  of  the  Harlem  River  between  Third  and  Eighth  avenues,  by  filling  it 
in  between  these  points,  leaving  only  a  covered  water  way,  60  feet  wide,  to 
be  built  on  the  westerly  side  of  the  river  at  a  height  of  not  less  than  7  feet 
above  mean  high  water  of  spring  tides,  and  extending  the  avenues  and 
streets  of  Harlem  into  Morrisania — consequently,  I  present  herewith  a  map 
showing  the  advantages  of  such  a  project.  On  this  map  I  have  caused  to 
be  drawn  profiles  of  the  Third  and  Fourth  Avenue  Bridges  and  the 
McComb's  Dam  Bridge  and  their  approaches  as  now  located  and  built, 
and  on  what  grade  it  is  proposed  to  rebuild  them  at  an  increased  elevation. 
The  map  has  been  compiled  from  the  published  War  Department  map  of 
the  pierhead  and  bulkhead  lines  on  both  shores  of  the  Harlem  River  and 
Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  as  recommended  by  the  New  York  Harbor  Line 
Board,  and  approved  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  October  18,  1890.  I  have 
also  caused  to  be  indicated  upon  it  the  profiles  and  sections  taken  along 
the  centre  lines  of  Third,  Fourth,  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh  and  Eighth  ave- 
nues, showing  to  what  extent  filling  would  be  required  if  these  avenues 
were  to  be  extended  across  the  Harlem  River  into  Morrisania. 

I  have  bestowed  much  attention  upon  the  whole  subject  matter,  and 
herein  present  a  condensed  history  of  the  canal  enterprise  as  reported  to 
the  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  by  his  subordinates  in  charge,  to  which 
I  have  added  some  suggestions  of  my  own  as  to  what  would  hereinafter  be 
done  in  the  light  of  new  developments. 

The  project  for  making  a  navigable  water  connection  between  the  East 


5 


River  and  the  Hudson  River  by  the  way  of  the  Harlem  River  and  the 
Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  was  formulated  upon  the  facts  determined  by  the 
survey  made  by  the  U.  S.  Engineers  along  this  route  in  1874,  in  compli- 
ance with  the  River  and  Harbor  Act  of  June  23. 1874,  the  report  upon  which 
may  be  found  at  page  224,  Annual  Report  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers  for 
1875,  Part  II. 

This  report  contains  an  interesting  historical  review  of  the  navigation 
of  the  Harlem  River  from  the  Revolution  to  the  present  time. 

A  full  history  of  this  improvement  as  now  adopted  with  the  legal  pro- 
ceedings for  the  acquirement  of  the  land  needed  for  it,  and  copies  of  the 
laws  passed  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York  relative  thereto, 
is  given  in  the  annual  report  of  the  local  engineer  in  charge  to  the  Chief 
of  Engineers  for  1887.  (See  Annual  Report  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers  for 
1887,  Part  I.,  pages  665  to  689.) 

The  streams  embraced  in  the  improvement  are  the  Harlem  River  and 
the  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek,  the  former  emptying  into  the  East  River  near 
Hell  Gate,  and  the  latter  into  the  Hudson  River  about  13  miles  north  of 
the  Battery,  and  together  separating  Manhattan  Island  from  the  mainland. 

There  has  always  been  an  exchange  of  waters  between  these  two 
streams  at  Kingsbridge,  though  a  long  ledge  of  rocks  awash  at  mean  low 
water  and  an  extremely  narrow  channel  at  that  point  have  heretofore  pre- 
vented the  exchange  being  a  free  one. 

High  Bridge  is  practically  at  the  head  of  navigation  in  the  Harlem 
River,  but  there  is  a  fair  channel  of  about  10  feet  depth  at  mean  low 
water  as  far  as  Morris  Dock,  6  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and 
a  crooked  one  of  7  feet  depth  to  Fordham  Landing,  1  mile  further ;  but 
there  is  no  navigation  of  this  entire  section  except  by  row-boats  and  a  few 
boats  loaded  with  building  material  for  the  roadway  of  streets  which  are 
being  opened  in  the  "  annexed  district.*'  Kingsbridge,  If  miles  from  the 
Hudson  River,  is  the  head  of  navigation  in  the  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek,  but 
only  at  high  water,  for  vessels  drawing  8  feet. 

The  range  of  the  tides  in  Harlem  River  varies  from  5.5  feet  at  Third 
Avenue  Bridge  to  6  feet  at  the  mouth  of  Dyckman  Creek,  and  in  the 
Spuyten  Duyvil  is  3.8  feet. 

As  the  difference  in  the  height  and  times  of  tides  between  the  East 
and  Hudson  Rivers,  after  the  connection  is  made  between  the  Harlem  and  the 
Hudson  Rivers,  will  produce  the  currents  upon  which  reliance  is  placed  to 
keep  the  channel  open,  it  is  desirable  that  the  cross-section  of  the  channel 
be  kept  as  uniform  as  possible  in  order  to  avoid  the  unnecessary  resistances 
to  the  flow  of  the  water  which  would  be  caused  by  any  contraction  of  the 
waterway. 

The  contraction  of  the  proposed  cut  through  Dyckman  Meadows  will 


6 


be  more  than  counterbalanced  by  the  natural  channel  through  Spuyten 
Duyvil  by  the  way  of  Kingsbridge,  which  is  left  open ;  and  the  contraction 
caused  by  the  piers  and  embankments  of  the  High  Bridge,  which  carries 
the  Croton  Aqueduct  across  the  Harlem  River,  should  be  contracted  by  deep- 
ening the  channels  between  piers  and  abutments.  Observations  of  the  tides 
affcting  these  waters  show  that  there  is  not  a  free  exchange  of  tides  between 
Harlem  River  and  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek,  but  that  there  is  practically  a  divide 
somewhere  near  Fordham  Bridge  between  the  tides  flowing  from  the  East 
River  into  the  Harlem  River,  and  from  the  Hudson  River  into  Spuyten 
Duyvil  Creek.  Comparing  the  tides  of  the  Harlem  River  at  Fordham 
Bridge  with  those  of  the  Hudson  River  at  the  mouth  of  Spuyten  Duyvil 
Creek,  it  is  found. 

(1)  That  the  level  of  mean  high  water  in  the  Hudson  is  nearly  one 
foot  (.961  foot)  lower  than  it  is  in  the  Harlem. 

(2)  That  the  mean  rise  and  fall  of  the  tide  in  the  Hudson  is  2.12 
feet  less  than  it  is  in  the  Harlem. 

(3)  That  the  mean  duration  of  the  rise  of  tides  in  the  Hudson  is  36 
minutes  shorter,  and  the  mean  duration  of  the  fall  26  minutes  longer, 
than  in  the  Harlem. 

(4)  The  mean  level  of  the  Hudson  at  the  mouth  of  Spuyten  Duyvil 
Creek  is  .265  of  a  foot  lower  than  at  Fordham  Bridge. 

(5)  High  water  occurs  1  hour  and  34  minutes  earlier  in  the  Hud- 
son than  in  the  Harlem. 

From  these  facts  it  follows  that  while  there  will,  at  different  times,  be  a 
flow  toward  either  river,  the  preponderance  of  flow  will  be  toward  the  Hudson, 
and  the  scour  will  go  that  way  ;  so  that,  if  a  cut  for  a  free  passage  of  the 
tides  be  made,  the  opening  into  the  Hudson  will  become  the  mouth  of  the 
cut. 

The  project  for  the  improvement  was  adopted  in  1879.  The  proposed 
lines  of  improvement,  as  laid  down  by  the  engineer  in  charge  in  his  annual 
report  for  1882,  are  as  follows : 

(1)  Below  the  Harlem  or  Third  Avenue  Bridge  the  outer  pier  and 
bulkhead  lines  as  laid  down  by  the  Park  Department  are  adopted. 

(2)  Above  the  Third  Avenue  Bridge  to  the  entrance  of  Dyckman 
Creek  into  the  Harlem  River  the  exterior  pier  and  bulkhead  lines  are 
laid  down  400  feet  apart. 

(3)  The  line  following  Dyckman  Creek  through  Dyckman  Meadows 
will  pass  for  a  part  of  the  way  through  solid  rock,  and  it  is  here  that 


7 


the  principal  cost  of  the  undertaking  must  be  encountered.  This 
part  is  to  be  made  350  feet  wide.  It  would  have  been  preferable  to 
establish  it  at  400  feet,  but  the  additional  amount  of  rock  excavation 
was  the  obstacle. 

(4)  The  remainder  of  the  line  to  the  Hudson  River  will  follow  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  course  of  the  Spuyten  Duyvil,  and  the  width 
will  be  400  feet. 

(5)  The  channel  depth  in  the  Harlem  River  and  Spuyten  Duyvil 
Creek  will  be  15  feet  at  mean  low  water,  and  in  the  channel  along 
Dyckman  Creek  18  feet  mean  low  water. 

The  estimated  cost  of  making  the  connection  by  a  cut  through  Dyck- 
man Meadows,  as  given  by  General  Newton  in  his  report  for  1882,  is 
$2,100,000. 

This  estimate  does  not  provide  for  the  improvement  of  the  channel  of 
the  Harlem  River  between  this  proposed  cut  and  the  mouth  of  the  Har- 
lem River. 

The  estimated  cost  of  improving  this  part  of  the  river,  as  given  in 
General  Newton's  report  for  1875,  was  about  $600,000.  Total  for  the 
improvement  of  the  Harlem  River  between  the  Hudson  River  and  East 
Part  River,  $2,700,000. 

The  project  was  revised  in  1886  by  narrowing  the  channel  immediately 
north  of  High  Bridge  to  375  feet,  where  it  skirts  the  Ogden  estate  on  the 
east  bank.  This  change  of  width  was  approved  by  the  Secretary  of  War, 
October  7,  1886  (see  Annual  Report  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers  for  1887, 
L,  page  671). 

The  estimated  cost  of  opening  the  channel  from  the  Harlem  River  to 
the  East  River  by  the  way  of  the  Harlem  or  Bronx  Kills,  making  it  300 
feet  wide  and  15  feet  deep  at  low  water,  was  about  $2,200,000.  This  sur- 
vey was  ordered  by  Act  of  Congress,  approved  March  3,  1881,  and  the  re- 
port upon  it  is  to  be  found  in  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Chief  of  Engi- 
neers for  1882,  Part  L,  page  656. 

After  the  legal  difficulties  for  acquiring  the  right  of  way  along  the 
line  of  the  proposed  improvement  of  the  Harlem  River  were  removed  in 
May,  1887,  the  appropriations  of  1878  and  1879,  aggregating  $400,000, 
became  available,  and  a  project  for  their  expenditure  was  made  very  soon 
thereafter. 

Work  was  begun  under  the  first  contract  for  earth  and  rock  excavation 
along  Dyckman  Creek,  in  January,  1888,  and  has  continued  uninterruptedly 
since  that  date. 

Contracts  have  also  been  made  covering  the  appropriation  of  $70,000, 


8 


Act  of  August  11,  1888,  and  that  of  $250,000,  Act  of  September  19. 
1890. 

These  several  contracts  provide  for  the  excavation  of  all  the  material 
contained  between  the  dams  ;  the  removal  of  the  dams ;  the  revetment  of 
both  banks  for  short  distances  east  and  west  of  both  dams  ;  and  for  dredg- 
ing a  channel  from  the  east  dam  through  the  Harlem  River  to  Fordham 
Dock,  and  from  the  west  dam  to  Spuyten  Duy vil  Creek.  It  is  expected  that 
when  these  contracts  are  completed  there  will  be  a  narrow  channel  be- 
tween the  Hudson  and  the  East  Rivers  navigable  at  mean  low  water  by 
vessels  drawing  eight  feet. 

In  the  report  of  the  Chief  of  United  States  Engineers,  of  September 
23,  1891,  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  it  is  stated  that  this  improvement  can- 
not be  well  or  economically  conducted  except  under  large  appropriations. 
The  amount  that  can  be  profitably  expended  during  the  fiscal  year  ending- 
June  30,  1893,  is  $500,000. 

Amounts  appropriated  by  Acts  of  Congress  approved  : 


June  23,  1874   f 11,000 

March  3, 1875   10,000 

June  18,  1878   300,000 

March  3,  1879   100,000 

Aug.  11, 1888   70,000 

Sept.  19,  1890   250,000 


1741,000 


November  1,  1891: 

Amount  on  hand  .'  $245,220  10 

Covered  by  contracts  and  liabilities  outstanding   227,908  04 

Balance  available   $17, 252  0G 


It  will  be  observed  that  the  entire  appropriations,  except  $17,252.06, 
have  been  expended  in  making  only  a  partial  opening  from  Spuyten  Duy- 
vil  Creek  through  Dyckman's  Meadow.  To  complete  that  portion  of  the 
proposed  work  from  the  Hudson  River  to  Fordham  Landing  according  to 
the  plans  adopted,  the  United  States  Engineers  estimate  that  it  will  re- 
quire an  additional  appropriation  by  Congress  of  fully  $1,300,000,  and 
$600,000  more  to  dredge  the  Harlem  River. 

In  a  very  few  months  the  Kingsbridge  dam  will  be  removed,  after  which 
canal  boats  drawing  not  exceeding  eight  feet  of  water  can  come  up  from 
the  Hudson  River  into  the  Harlem  River.    Without  the  additional  ex- 


9 


penditure,  however,  of  some  81,300,000,  no  greater  facilities  than  those 
that  will  be  available  by  next  May  can  be  had  in  the  coming  four  or  five 
years ;  and,  even  should  they  then  be  completed,  it  would  take  a  couple  of 
years  more  to  dredge  the  Harlem  River. 

This  canal  scheme  to  keep  New  York  an  island  has  been  dangling  in 
the  air  for  the  past  seventeen  years,  and  there  is  not  the  slightest  prob- 
ability that  in  any  event  it  can  be  completed  in  the  coming  six  years ;  but, 
if  completed,  it  would  never  be  anything  more  than  a  nuisance  to  be 
cursed  by  nineteen-twentieths  of  the  people  who  reside  in  or  who  visit 
New  York  from  above  the  Harlem  River. 

Bridges  Across  and  Tunnels  Under  the  Harlem  River. 

The  State  of  New  York,  anticipating  the  completion  of  the  improve- 
ment, and  desiring  to  co-operate  with  the  General  Government  in  main- 
taining the  navigation  of  the  Harlem  River  unimpaired  after  improve- 
ment, passed  an  act  in  1879,  which  provides  : 

Sec.  10.  The  said  consent  is  given  and  the  said  jurisdiction  ceded  upon  the  ex- 
press reservation  to  the  State  of  New  York  of  concurrent  jurisdiction  with  the 
United  States  in  and  over  the  territory  covered  by  said  improvement,  so  far  as  that 
all  civil  and  criminal  process  which  may  issue  under  the  laws  or  authority  of  the 
State  of  New  York  may  be  executed  thereon  in  the  same  way  and  manner  as  if 
such  consent  had  not  been  given  or  jurisdiction  ceded,  except  so  far  as  such  pro- 
cess may  affect  the  real  or  personal  property  of  the  United  States;  provided,  how- 
ever, that  the  direction  of  the  bridges  hereafter  to  be  constructed  over  said  river  or 
creek  shall  be  at  right  angles  to  the  courses  of  the  improved  channel ;  that  the 
height  of  the  bridges  in  the  clear,  at  the  draws,  shall  be  not  less  thon  twenty-four 
feet  above  the  high  water  of  spring  tides,  and  that  the  number  and  size  of  the 
bridge  piers  within  the  improved  channel  shall  first  be  approved  by  the  engineer  of 
the  United  States  in  charge.  And  provided,  further,  that  no  tunnel  shall  be  con- 
structed under  said  river  or  creek  which  will  not  permit  the  excavation  of  a  chan- 
nel above  it  of  at  least  twenty  feet  in  depth  at  mean  low  water.  There  shall  be 
constructed  in  every  bridge,  except  in  suspension  bridges,  hereafter  built  over  said 
river  or  creek,  two  draws  contiguous  to  each  other,  and  the  length  on  the  bridge 
occupied  by  the  draw  spans  and  the  centre  pier  separating  them  shall  be  at  least 
two  hundred  and  forty  feet. 

The  site  of  the  present  Kingsbridge  Road  where  it  crosses  Dyckman's 
Creek,  between  the  dams,  has  been  designedly  left  undisturbed  till  the 
last  moment  in  .order  to  give  the  City  of  New  York  time  to  prepare  plans 
for  the  new  bridge  which  will  be  required  to  be  built  at  Broadway  Cross- 
ing, to  comply  with  the  requirements  of  the  State  Act  of  1879  for  new 
bridges.  This  matter  was  brought  before  the  Commissioner  of  Public 
AYorks,  New  York  City,  by  the  Chief  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  in  a  letter 


10 


dated  March  22,  1889,  but  as  far  as  I  can  learn  no  final  action  has  as  yet 
resulted  therefrom. 

By  Act  of  the  Legislature  of  April  29,  1890,  which  became  a  law  with- 
out the  approval  of  the  Governor,  the  Department  of  Public  Parks  was 
authorized  to  reconstruct  McComb's  Dam  Bridge  at  Seventh  avenue  and 
One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth  street.  The  act  provides  that  the  expense 
of  construction  and  the  cost  of  private  property  that  will  have  to  be  ac- 
quired for  its  approaches  shall  in  no  event  exceed  $1,250,000.  That  the  bridge 
shall  be  constructed  in  conformity  with  the  general  provisions  of  the  Act  of 
1882,  with  the  difference  that  it  shall  have  the  height  of  "  not  less  than  36 
feet  above  the  high  water  of  the  spring  tides,"  as  provided  in  the  Act  of  1882. 
The  provision  for  the  height  of  the  lower  chord  having  been  considered 
favorable  for  navigation,  the  consent  of  the  Secretary  of  War  to  the  con- 
struction of  the  bridge  under  the  act  was  given  June  23,  1890,  but  the 
land  for  the  approaches  has  not  yet  been  acquired  by  the  Department  of 
Parks ;  consequently,  the  building  of  the  McComb's  Dam  Bridge  is  still  in 
abeyance. 

The  bridges  which  have  been  built  across  the  Harlem  River  since  the 
passage  of  the  Act  of  1879  are  those  at  Second  avenue,  at  Madison  ave- 
nue, and  the  New  York  and  Nothern  Railroad  Bridge  at  Eighth  avenue. 

During  the  past  year  the  subject  of  raising  the  low  bridges  at  Fourth 
and  Third  avenues  has  given  rise  to  extended  discussion  at  home  and 
abroad  among  those  in  any  way  interested  in  the  Harlem  River  or  affected 
by  its  improvement,  and  an  effort  has  been  made  to  have  those  bridges  re- 
constructed according  to  the  State  law  of  1879  for  new  bridges. 

The  New  York  and  Northern  Railway  Company  and  others  interested 
in  the  navigation  of  the  river,  having  heard  that  the  Park  Commissioners 
of  New  York  City  had  under  consideration  the  closing  of  the  draws  of  all  the 
bridges  during  certain  stated  hours  every  day,  morning  and  evening,  when 
the  land  travel  over  the  bridges  was  greatest,  united  in  a  memorial  ad- 
dressed to  the  Secretary  of  War,  dated  February  1,  1890,  in  which  it  was 
declared  that  the  low  bridges  at  Fourth  and  Third  avenues  were  obstruc- 
tions to  the  navigation  of  the  river  within  the  meaning  and  intent  of  Sec- 
tions 9  and  10  of  the  River  and  Harbor  Act  of  August  11,  1888,  and  de- 
manded that  they  be  rebuilt. 

Under  instructions  of  the  Secretary  of  War  three  public  hearings 
were  given  in  May  to  the  parties  interested,  but  as  they  could  not  reconcile 
their  differences,  a  Board  of  Engineers  was  convened  May  7,  1890,  to  con- 
sider the  whole  subject,  and  to  submit  recommendations  for  adjusting  the 
matters  complained  of. 

The  board,  after  several  adjourned  meetings,  beginning  May  26,  1890, 
submitted  its  report  on  June  19,  1890. 


11 


The  following  table  shows  the  location  and  characteristics  of  the  several 


bridges  across  the  Harlem  River  : 

u 

ttom 
bove 
ater. 

-  =£ 

O  13  > 

Name  and  location  of  bridge. 

W5 
el  s- 
•-  ~Z 

cm  Tirj 

°  .2 

Remarks. 

dth 
ach 

~  £  g 

®  ©  a 
w 

Double  draw,  railroad  bridge,  iron. 
Double  draw,  road  bridge,  iron. 

Double  draw,  railroad  bridge,  iron. 

Double  draw,  road  bridge,  iron. 
Double  draw,  road  bridge,  wood 

and  iron. 
Double  draw,  railroad  bridge,  iron. 
No  draw;  width  in  clear  between 

piers,  77.7  feet ;  intrados  of  arch 

100  feet  above  mean  high  water. 
No  draw;  iron  arch;  clear  span  500 

feet ;  crown  of  arch  136.7  feet 

above  mean  high  water. 
Single  draw;  wooden  trestle  ;  soon 

to  be  removed. 
No  draw  ;  two  spans,  18  and  25  feet 

wide. 

No  draw ;  two  spans,  22  and  23  feet 
wide. 

Single  draw;  wooden  trestle ;  to  be 
provided  soon  with  a  draw  open- 
ing 50  feet  wide  and  a  steam 
motor  for  operating  drawbridge. 


The  Board  at  the  same  time  submitted  to  the  Chief  of  Engineers  its 
report  in  relation  to  the  bridges  across  the  Harlem  River  at  Third  and 
Fourth  avenues,  in  which  it  was  "  recommended  that  the  bridges,  having 
"  been  found  to  be  obstructions  to  the  free  navigation  of  a  navigable  water  - 
"  way  of  the  United  States,  by  reason  of  insufficient  height  and  insufficient 
"  width  of  spans,  in  the  sense  in  which  the  words  are  used  in  Section  9 
"  and  Section  10  of  the  River  and  Harbor  Act  of  August  11,  1888,  be 
"  made  to  conform  as  nearly  as  practicable  to  the  requirements  of  the 
"  State  Legislature  of  1879,  for  new  bridges  over  the  Harlem  River." 

This  recommendation  was  approved  by  the  Secretary  of  War  June  22, 
1890,  and  the  City  of  New  York,  owning  or  controlling  the  bridge  at 
Third  avenue,  and  the  New  York  Central  and  Hudson  River  Railroad 
Company  owning  or  controlling  the  bridge  at  Fourth  avenue,  were  noti- 


Second  Avenue     103.7 

Third  Avenue   82.0 

(  65.0) 

  "(68.0/ 

Madison  Avenue   132.0 

McComb's  Dam   80.0 


Fourth  Avenue. 


New  York  &  Northern  R.  R . 
High  Bridge  (Old  Aqueduct) .  | 

Washington  Bridge  at  181st1 
Street  (single  span)  '.. 


228.0 


28.5 
13.8 


26.0 
36.7 

28.0 


Footbridge,  Fordham   32.0 

Farmers'  Bridge  


Kings  Bridge  

Hudson  River  Railroad  Bridge 
mouth  of  Spuyten  Duyvil 
Creek      


26.2 


3.9 
3.1 
4.8 

1.4 


12 


fied  that  the  required  modification  should  be  made  by  January  1,  1892,  as 
appears  by  the  following  correspondence;  which  was  transmitted  by  the 
Mayor  of  New  York  to  the  President  of  the  Department  of  Parks,  as  that 
department,  by  law,  has  charge  of  the  Third  avenue  bridge. 
The  correspondence  is  as  follows : 

Mayor's  Office.  New  York, 

July  17th,  1890. 

Honorable  Albert  Gallup, 

President  Park  Department : 

Sir — I  transmit  herewith  by  direction  of  the  Mayor,  for  such  attention  as  may 
be  proper,  the  enclosed  communication  from  G.  L.  Gillespie,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Engineers,  U.  S.  A.,  accompanying  notice  of  the  acting  Secretary  of  War  in  rela- 
tion to  alterations  to  be  made  to  the  bridge  across  the  Harlem  River  at  Third 
avenue. 

Very  respectfully, 

(Signed)      Leicester  Holmes, 

Secretary. 

(Enclosure.) 

Engineer's  Office, 
Room  62,  Army  Bldg. 
39  Whitehall  St.,  N.  Y., 
New  York,  July  8,  1890. 

To  the  City  of  New  York, 

Through  the  Mayor  of  the  City  of  New  York  : 

Sir — In  compliance  with  the  instructions  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers,  I  have  the 
honor  to  present  to  you  the  enclosed  notice  of  the  Secretary  of  War  relative  to  alter- 
ations to  be  made  to  the  bridge  across  the  Harlem  River,  N.  Y.,  at  Third  avenue, 
N.  Y.  City. 

Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

(Sgd.)      G.  L.  Gillespie, 
Lt.-Col.  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  A. 


WAR  DEPARTMENT. 

Washington  City,  July  2,  1890. 

To  the  Om  i  of  New  York  : 

Take  notice  that  whereas  the  Secretary  of  War  has  good  reasons  to  believe  that 
the  bridge  across  the  Harlem  River  at  Third  avenue,  New  York  City,  is  an  obstruc- 
tion to  the  free  navigation  of  the  said  Harlem  River,  which  is  one  of  the  navigable 
waters  of  the  United  States,  by  reasons  of  insufficient  height  and  insufficient  width 
of  spans  ; 

And  whereas  to  the  first  day  of  January,  1892,  is  a  reasonable  time  in  which  to 


13 


so  alter  the  said  bridge  as  to  render  navigation  through  or  under  it  free,  easy  and 
unobstructed  : 

Now,  therefore,  in  obedience  to  and  by  virtue  of  the  IX.  and  X.  sec- 
tions of  an  Act  of  Congress  of  the  United  States  entitled  "  An  Act  making  appro- 
"  priations  for  the  construction,  repair  and  preservation  of  certain  public  works  on 
"  rivers  and  harbors,  and  for  other  purposes,"  which  took  effect  August  11th,  1888, 

I,  Lewis  A.  Grant,  acting  Secretary  of  War,  do  hereby  notify  the  said  City  of 
New  York  to  so  alter  the  said  bridge  as  to  render  navigation  through  or  under  it 
free,  easy  and  unobstructed,  and  prescribe  that  said  alterations  shall  be  made  and 
completed  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  Januarys  1892. 

(Signed)      L.  A.  Grant, 

Acting  Secretary  of  War. 

On  the  same  day  a  similar  notice  was  sent  to  the  N.  Y.  C.  &  H.  R.  R.  R. 
Co.,  but  that  company  apparently  has  taken  no  action  in  reference  thereto. 

The  Park  Commissioners  referred  their  notice  in  reference  to  the 
Third  avenue  bridge  to  its  Engineer  of  Construction,  whose  report  is  as 
follows : 

Department  of  Public  Parks, 
Office  of  Engineer  of  Construction, 

Arsenal  Building,  Central  Park. 
New  York,  December  8th,  1890. 

Charles  De  F.  Burns,  Esq., 

Secretary  Dept.  Public  Parks  : 

Sir — I  beg  leave  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  a  communication  from  his  Honor 
the  Mayor,  enclosing  communication  from  G.  L.  Gillespie,  Lt.-Col.  Engineers,  U.  S. 
A.,  with  accompanying  notice  from  the  acting  Secretary  of  War  relative  to  altera- 
tions required  to  be  made  to  the  bridge  across  the  Harlem  River  at  Third  avenue, 
New  York  City,  which  was  referred  to  me  to  prepare  plans  with  estimate  of  cost. 

I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  after  due  consideration  of  the  alterations  required 
by  the  aforesaid  notice,  and  on  examination  of  the  present  bridge  and  its  surround- 
ings, I  find  difficulties  and  complications  of  so  serious  a  nature  that  I  have  deemed 
it  my  duty  to  submit  a  statement  of  the  same  for  the  consideration  and  further 
instructions  of  the  Commissioners,  previous  to  commencing  the  preparations  of  the 
estimate,  &c,  A  map  showing  the  location  of  the  present  bridge,  with  the  lines, 
grades  and  elevations  of  the  adjacent  avenues  and  streets  and  railways,  and  also  the 
buildings,  has  been  prepared  and  is  herewith  submitted  to  show  some  of  the  diffi- 
culties encountered. 

1st.  The  alterations  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  War  not  only  require  the 
raising  of  the  bridge,  but  that  the  width  of  the  draw  spans  shall  be  increased. 

The  length  of  the  present  draw  spans,  including  the  pivot  pier,  is  217f  feet  and 
the  width  of  the  spans  in  the  clear  is  about  80  feet  each,  and  it  is  assumed  that  the 
requirements  of  the  notice  are  that  the  height  of  the  draw  in  the  clear  and  the 
length  of  the  draw  spans  and  centre  pier  shall  be  in  conformity  with  the  general 
provisions  of  Sec.  676,  of  Chap.  410,  Laws  of  1882  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
regulating  the  construction  of  bridges  over  the  Harlem  RiVer,  &c,  viz  :  Height  in 
clear  at  draws  i '4  feet  above  high  water  of  spring  tides  as  established  by  the  U.  S. 


14 


Engineers,  and  that  the  length  of  bridge,  of  draw  spans  and  centre  piers  to  be  not 
less  than  2J$  feet. 

This  will  render  the  present  heavy  iron  bridge,  draw  and  fixed  spans  useless 
and  also  cause  the  removal  of  the  present  piers  supporting  the  ends  of  the  draw 
spans  and  the  construction  of  two  new  piers  as  well  as  an  entire  new  bridge.  It  is 
also  possible  that  the  erection  of  a  new  bridge  of  greater  length  ann  weight  on  the 
present  site  will  require  a  new  pivot  or  centre  pier. 

The  present  centre  pier  upon  which  the  draw  span  rests  is  formed  of  12  cast-iron 
pipes  4  feet  in  diameter  and  filled  with  concrete.  Some  of  these  pipes  or  columns 
have  been  fractured  or  cracked  vertically  above  low  water  mark,  and  have  been 
secured  with  bands  within  the  past  two  years.  Their  present  height  above  the  bed  of 
the  river  is  about  31  feet.  Their  condition  below  low  water  can  only  be  determined 
by  careful  examination.  The  advisability  of  increasing  their  height  at  least  10  feet 
and  of  their  capacity  to  support  a  longer  and  more  weighty  bridge  requires  careful 
study. 

The  shore  abutments,  from  their  appearance  (there  being  no  plans),  it  is  believed 
will  permit  of  being  raised  to  the  required  height. 

2d.  The  Appeoaches.  The  height  of  the  present  draw  span  in  the  clear  is  about 
13  feet  above  high  water  mark,  but  the  increased  length  and  weight  of  the  same 
will  require  a  greater  depth  of  truss  and  the  grade  of  the  roadway  will  require  to  be 
raised  about  14  feet. 

This  will  affect  the  approaches:  and  at  such  an  important  crossing  over  which 
the  great  share  of  the  heavy  freight  traffic  passes,  it  is  an  absolute  necessity  that  the 
grades  should  be  kept  at  the  minimum,  and  should  in  no  case  exceed  one  foot  rise  in 
thirty,  or  3£  feet  in  100  feet. 

To  construct  these  approaches  up  and  down  the  Third  avenue  as  at  present,  with 
a  grade  of  3^  feet  in  100  feet,  the  approach  on  the  southerly  side  would  extend  to 
the  northerly  curb  line  of  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river  to  100  feet  northerly  of  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  street. 

The  approaches,  so  far  as  is  practicable,  should  be  of  solid  filling,  and  the  con- 
struction of  the  same  on  the  southerly  side  of  sufficient  width  required  for  the  traffic 
crossing  the  bridge  would  virtually  deprive  the  Third  Avenue  Surface  Railway 
Company  of  means  of  access  to  their  large  buildings  erected  for  their  plant  for  the 
cable  road,  storage  of  cars,  &c,  which  occupies  the  entire  block  (except  a  small 
portion  at  the  northeast  corner  of  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth  street)  between 
Third  and  Lexington  avenues  and  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth  and  One  Hun- 
dred and  Thirtieth  streets,  together  with  their  tracks  in  the  Third  avenue  northerly 
of  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  street,  and  their  tracks,  switches,  &c.,  in  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth  and  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  streets  connecting 
with  their  building.  It  would  also  require  the  removal  of  the  structure  and  station 
of  the  Third  Avenue  Elevated  Railway  northerly  of  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth 
street,  and  the  connecting  elevated  railway  through  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth 
street. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  the  property  most  seriously  affected  would  be 
the  large  foundry  buildings  on  the  northerly  side  of  the  avenue,  extending  from  the 
river  to  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  street. 

Besides  the  above-mentioned  difficulties,  the  damages  to  private  property  mnst 
be  considered. 

3d.  Change  in  the  Location  of  Appeoaches.  A  change  in  the  line  of  approaches 
has  been  considered  and  is  presented  for  consideration  by  which  the  interference 
with  the  railways  and  damages  to  the  Third  avenue  property  might  be  avoided,  viz : 


15 


On  the  southerly  side  by  the  purchase  of  a  strip  of  land  50  feet  in  width  along  the 
north  line  of  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  street,  between  Third  and  Lexington  ave- 
nues, and  on  the  northeast  side  by  occupying  20  feet  of  the  southern  boulevard  and 
the  purchase  of  a  strip  30  feet  in  width  adjoining,  along  its  southerly  line  from 
Third  to  Lincoln  avenues,  making  the  entrance  and  exit  for  vehicles  at  Lexington 
and  Lincoln  avenues,  and  for  pedestrians  by  flights  of  steps  at  Third  avenue  on 
each  side  of  the  bridge,  and  by  an  extension  on  the  southerly  side  to  One  Hundred 
and  Thirtieth  street  for  the  use  of  the  street  railways  crossing  the  bridge  from 
the  Twenty-third  and  Twenty-fourth  Wards. 

4th.  Change  of  Location  of  the  Bridge.  If  a  change  of  the  location  of  the 
bridge  could  be  made  without  excessive  damages  for  right  of  way  for  the  bridge 
and  its  approaches,  and  upon  such  lines  as  would  not  materially  inconvenience  the 
traffic  crossing  the  same,  and  not  be  an  obstruction  to  navigation,  in  one  respect  it 
would  be  advantageous,  as  the  present  bridge  might  be  retained  for  use  until  the 
new  bridge  was  opened  for  traffic. 

If  changed,  in  order  to  use  the  old  bridge  during  its  construction,  it  could  not 
be  placed  within  250  or  300  feet  of  the  present  bridge,  leaving  sufficient  space  for 
the  working  of  the  draws  during  construction. 

If  located  easterly  of  the  present  bridge,  it  would  be  objectionable  on  account 
of  its  nearness  to  the  bridge  crossing  at  the  Second  avenue,  as  the  length  of  the  block 
between  Second  and  Third  avenues  is  but  610  feet,  and  when  both  draws  were 
opened  at  one  time  it  would  be  an  obstruction  to  navigation. 

In  case  the  new  bridge  is  to  be  placed  on  the  site  of  the  present  bridge,  a  sub- 
stantial temporary  bridge  must  of  necessity  be  erected  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
immense  traffic  of  freight  and  passengers  crossing  the  river  at  this  point. 

The  number  of  vehicles  crossing  the  bridge  by  actual  count  for  eight  hours, 
from  8  A.  M.  until  4  P.  M.  on  the  5th  and  6th  inst.  being : 


Vehicles  of  all  descriptions   2,554 

Horse  cars   324 

Total   2.878 


As  the  structure  must  be  placed  at  least  250  feet  from  the  present  bridge,  right 
of  way  of  the  water  front  and  for  approaches  to  the  streets  or  avenues  miM  be 
leased  or  purchased. 

6th.  I  would  state  that  the  time  prescribed  in  the  notice  for  the  completion  of 
the  work  (January  1st,  1892)  is  inadequate  for  the  work,  and  that  at  least  two  years 
after  the  work  is  placed  under  contract  will  be  required  to  complete  the  same. 

Inasmuch  as  the  bridge  crossing  the  Harlem  River  at  this  point  is  now,  and 
will  no  doubt  continue  to  be  in  the  future,  the  main  and  most  important  connection 
between  the  Island  of  New  York  and  the  Annexed  District,  together  with  the  rail- 
ways constructed  and  the  large  property  interests,  all  of  which  will  be  affected  by 
any  alteration  to  the  present  bridge,  I  have  (as  before  stated)  deemed  it  my  duty  to 
place  before  your  Honorable  Board  the  above  facts,  in  order  that  the  alterations  as 
to  height  and  location  of  the  bridge  and  its  approaches  may  be  determined  so  as 
best  to  serve  the  large  interests  involved,  and  provide  adequate  means  of  transit 
across  the  river  not  only  for  the  present  but  for  the  future. 

Respectfully, 
(Signed)  M.  A.  Kellogg, 

Engineer  of  Construction. 


16 


An  item  in  the  River  and  Harbor  Act  of  Congress,  approved  Septem- 
ber 19,  1890,  making  appropriations  for  improving  the  Harlem  Eiver,  reads 
as  follows : 

Improving  Harlem  River,  New  York  :  Continuing  improvement,  two  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars  ;  and  the  Secretary  of  War  is  directed  to  cause  the  low 
bridges  now  crossing  said  Harlem  River  to  be  replaced  by  other  bridges  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  owners  thereof  as  soon  as  the  necessary  legislation,  if  any  such  legis- 
lation be  necessary,  shall  have  enabled  the  change  in  grade  to  the  approaches  of 
said  bridges  thus  required  to  be  made,  the  owners  of  said  bridges  being  allowed  a 
reasonable  time  in  which  to  complete  the  work  necessary  for  said  approaches. 
Said  bridges  shall  leave  a  clear  space  between  the  under  sides  thereof  and  ,the  high 
water  of  spring  tides,  of  twenty-four  feet,  and  shall  be  provided  with  draw-spans 
and  draws  of  the  width  and  length  to  be  determined  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  and 
shall  in  all  respects  comply  with  law  and  conform  to  the  requirements  of  the  Sec- 
retary of  War:  Provided,  That  the  Secretary  of  War  shall  prescribe  the  times  and 
regulations  for  the  opening  and  operating  of  the  draws  in  said  bridges,  but  said 
draws  shall  not  be  opened  except  for  vessels  propelled  by  steam  with  or  without 
vessels  in  tow.  Nor  shall  they  be  required  to  be  opened  at  any  times  other  than 
between  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  and  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

This  Act  of  Congress  supersedes  the  notices  of  the  Secretary  of  War 
of  July  2,  1890,  consequently  the  grades  of  the  approaches  cannot  be 
changed,  nor  can  the  Third  and  Fourth  avenue  briges  be  rebuilt  without 
further  action  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  which  estab- 
lished the  present  grades  of  these  approaches  to  said  bridges. 

A  bill  was  introduced  into,  and  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  of  the 
State  of  New  York  in  1890,  to  raise  the  bridge  at  Fourth  avenue  and  its 
approaches,  but  failed  to  receive  the  signature  of  the  Governor,  and  con- 
sequently did  not  become  a  law.  A  similar  bill  was  introduced  into  the 
Legislature  of  1891,  at  the  instance  of  city  officials,  to  raise  the  Third 
Avenue  Bridge  and  its  approaches,  but  failed  to  pass.  Should  a  similar 
bill  be  reintroduced  at  the  coming  session  of  the  Legislature,  the  question 
ought  to  be  raised  whether  it  would  not  be  wise  to  abandon  the  Canalization 
Sclicme  of  so  much  of  the  Harlem  River  as  runs  between  Eighth  and 
Third  avenues,  as  I  have  indicated. 

Now,  as  the  authority  to  solve  these  problems  is  exclusively  w  ithin  the 
control  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  with  the  concurrence  of  the 
Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  should  not  the  Legislature  be  asked 
to  create  a  Commission,  composed  of  the  State  Engineer  and  Surveyor 
and  two  others  to  meet  a  similar  Commission  of  U.  S.  Engineers  to  be  ap- 
pointed by  Congress  or  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  who  shall  hold  joint 
sessions,  with  power  to  send  for  persons  and  papers,  administer  oaths  and 
take  testimony,  and  to  examine  for  themselves  as  to  whether  or  not  it  is 
advisable  to  complete  the  Canal  Scheme  as  heretofore  proposed,  or  to  fill 


17 


in  that  part  of  the  Harlem  River  between  Third  and  Eighth  avenues  as 
here  suggested,  and  to  report  the  testimony  taken  and  their  conclusions  to 
Congress  and  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  for  such  action  as 
may  be  necessary  in  the  premises  for  the  State  of  New  York  or  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  to  undertake. 

For  elevation  of  bridges  and  grades  of  approaches  see  profiles  on  ac- 
compauying  map. 

Third  Avenue  Bridge. 

At  Third  avenue  there  is  a  double  draw  road  bridge  of  iron.  The 
height  of  its  bottom  chord  is  13  feet  8  inches  above  mean  high  water.  If 
it  were  to  be  raised  to  24  feet  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  law  of  1879, 
the  approach  on  each  side  of  the  river  would  have  to  be  about  16  feet  above 
the  present  level  of  the  streets,  and  would  have  to  be  extended  on  the 
Harlem  side  back  to  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  street,  which  would 
block  off  the  traffic  at  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth  and  One  Hundred 
and  Thirtieth  streets  entirely,  and  on  the  Morrisania  side  there  will  be  a 
16  feet  embankment  at  the  Southern  Boulevard  in  front  of  the  Mott  Iron 
Works,  and  7  feet  at  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  street  and  Third 
avenue.  It  is  estimated  that  it  will  cost  the  City  of  New  York  to  build 
this  bridge  and  pay  damages  for  private  property,  upwards  of  $2,500,000. 

Fourth  Avenue  Bridge. 

In  1810  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York  authorized  the 
N.  Y.  &  Harlem  Railroad  Company  to  construct  and  maintain  a  draw- 
bridge over  the  Harlem  River  at  Fourth  avenue,  and  to  extend  its  railroad 
through  Westchester  County. 

In  1872  the  Legislature  required  the  sinking  of  the  grade  of  the  rail- 
road between  Forty-fifth  street  and  the  Harlem  River,  and  the  construction 
of  the  tunnel,  viaducts  and  depressed  ways  along  Fourth  avenue,  which 
constituted  what  is  commonly  known  as  the  "  Fourth  Avenue  Lnprovement," 
the  City  of  New  York  paying  one-half  of  the  expense  thereof. 

The  bottom  chord  of  the  present  draw-bridge  across  the  Harlem  River 
at  Fourth  avenue  is  7  feet  2  inches  above  mean  high  water  of  spring  tides. 
If  it  shall  be  elevated  to  24  feet,  as  required  by  the  Act  of  Congress  of 
September  19,  1890,  the  grades  of  the  railroad  on  Fourth  avenue  and  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river  must  be  changed  by  authority  of  the  Legis- 
lature of  the  State  of  New  York  so  that  the  approaches  will  conform  to 
the  new  elevation,  which  would  be  as  follows,  viz. : 


18 


Commencing  at  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth  street  the  new  grade 
would  have : 

To  be  raised  8  feet  9  inches  at  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  street,  Harlem. 

To  be  raised  11  feet  at  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth  street,  Harlem. 

To  be  raised  12  feet  2  inches  at  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  street,  Harlem. 
To  be  raised  16  feet  9  inches  at  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  street,  Harlem. 
To  be  raised  16  feet  9  inches  at  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fifth  street,  Morrisania. 
Leaving  the  present  new  station  at  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth  street  12  feet 
below  grade,  reaching  zero  at  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  street,  Morrisania. 

Blocking  off  streets  and  damaging  private  property  to  the  extent  of  millions 
of  dollars,  in  addition  to  the  cost  of  rebuilding  the  bridge  and  approaches, 
which  will  not  be  less  than,  say,  $3,000,000. 

Note. — It  is  claimed,  however,  that  if  the  N.  Y.  C.  &  H.  R.  R.  R.  Company 
should  be  required  to  rebuild  this  bridge  and  the  approaches  on  both  sides  of  the 
Harlem  River,  that  the  City  of  New  York  will  be  compelled  to  pay  one-half  of  the 
cost  thereof,  as  it  had  to  do  in  the  Fourth  avenue  improvement. 

McComb's  Dam  Bridge. 

By  Act  of  the  Legislature  of  April  29,  1890,  the  cost  of  the  McComb's 
Dam,  double  draw,  road  bridge,  to  be  built  of  wood  and  iron  at  Seventh 
avenue  and  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth  street,  including  cost  of  private 
property  and  land  damages,  was  limited  to  $1,250,000.  It  has  since  been 
ascertained,  however,  that  $750,000  additional  will  be  required  for  land 
damages,  private  property  and  the  right  of  way — consequently,  without  such 
additional  appropriation  being  authorized,  it  is  believed  that  this  bridge,  as 
designed  to  be  built,  36  feet  7  inches  above  mean  high  water  of  spring 
tides,  cannot  be  built  for  less  than  the  sum  of  $2,000,000. 

Note — Now  as  it  is  ascertained  that  the  new  McComb's  Dam  Bridge  and  its 
approaches  will  cost  $2,000,000,  would  it  not  be  advisable  to  dispense  with  it 
entirely,  and  instead,  build  a  section  of  the  "Covered  Waterway"  at  Seventh 
avenue  and  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth  street  this  year,  and  fill  in  so  much  of  the 
Harlem  River  as  will  be  necessary  for  the  extension  of  Seventh  avenue,  on  grade, 
across  into  Morrisania  to  connect  with  Central  or  Jerome  avenue,  at  a  probable 
cost  not  exceeding  $200,000.  The  Viaduct  can  be  extended  to  the  avenue  instead 
of  a  bridge. 

Recapitulation  of  City's  Probable  Liabilities. 


For  Third  Avenue  Bridge  and  approaches   $2,500,000 

For  Fourth  Avenue  Bridge  and  approaches  (|)   1,500,000 

For  McComb's  Dam  Bridge  and  approaches   2,000,000 

For  improvements  proposed  by  Dock  Board   2,500,000 


A  grand  total  of   $8,500,000 


19 


The  Annexed  District — Area. 

The  23d  and  21th  "Wards  were  annexed  to  the  City  of  New  York 
January  1,  1875,  pursuant  to  Chapter  613  of  the  Laws  of  1873. 

These  Wards  have  an  area  of   12,317  acres. 

Manhattan  Island  has  an  area  of     12,576  acres. 


Population. 


The  population  of  the  23d  and  24th  Wards  at  the  time  of  annexation  was....  30. 194 

In  1880,  rive  years  later,  it  had  increased  to   41,626 

In  1890,  ten  years  later,  it  had  increased  to   80,000 

Now  it  is  estimated  that  the  population  is  fully   100.000 


Assessed  Valuation. 


In  1880  the  assessed  valuation  was   $22,901,985 

In  1890  the  assessed  valuation  was   44,423,634 

In  1891  the  assessed  valuation  was   50,670.741 


Should  the  Harlem  River  be  rilled  in  as  herein  proposed,  the  assessed 
valuation  of  these  two  Wards,  in  the  next  five  years,  will  be  con- 
siderably in  excess  of  $100,000,000 


Parks,  Streets  and  Sewers. 

The  Parks  and  Parkways  in  and  adjacent  to  these  Wards  contain  3,835 

acres,  and  have  cost  the  City  of  New  York,  about,  if  not  fully   $9,500,000 

The  cost  of  other  public  improvements,  such  as  the  250  miles  of  streets, 

and  32  miles  of  sewers   5,000,000 

Total  expenditure  by  the  City  of  New  York   $14,500,000 


Railways. 

There  are  seven  lines  of  steam  railroads  now  in  operation  in  the  two  Wards, 
and  several  others  projected. 

There  are  38  passenger  stations.  Over  300  passenger  trains  passing  each  way 
daily.    Over  2,000  freight  cars  are  despatched  daily. 

There  are  six  lines  of  horse-car  railroads  now  in  operation,  and  several  others 
projected.  Last  year  they  carried  somewhat  over  4,000,000  passengers,  and  the 
Suburban  Elevated  Railroad  carried  about  3,000,000  passengers. 

There  are  three  elevated  railroads,  viz  :  The  Second,  Third  and  Sixth  avenue, 
and  three  horse-car  lines  and  one  cable  road  terminating  on  the  southerly  or  west- 


20 


erly  side  of  the  Harlem  River  near  bridges,  which  connect  with  the  Twenty-third 
and  Twenty-fourth  Wards. 

The  N.  Y.  C.  &  H.  R.  R.  R.,  the  Harlem,  and  the  N.  Y.  N.  H.  <fc  H.  Railroads 
cross  the  Harlem  River  at  Fourth  avenue  at  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  street. 

The  New  York  &  Northern  Railroad  crosses  the  Harlem  River  at  Eighth  avenue 
above  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth  street. 

Conclusion. 

If  it  should  be  decided  to  fill  in  the  Harlem  River  between  Third  and 
Eighth  avenues  and  make  solid  land  there,  save  a  60-feet  covered  water- 
way, so  as  to  allow  the  avenues  and  streets  of  Harlem  to  be  extended  into 
Morrisania,  as  indicated,  the  expenditure  of  $8,500,000  for  bridges  and 
dock  improvements  would  not  only  be  avoided,  but  the  reclamation  as 
shown  by  the  computation  noted  on  my  map  is  that  the  area  limited  by  the 
high  water  line,  shaded  red,  contains  193.40  acres,  and  that  the  area 
between  the  high  water  Hue  and  the  land  side  of  River  street  contains 
41.70  acres,  a  total  of  235  acres,  which  at  sixteen  city  lots  per  acre  (25x100) 
would  make  a  grand  total  of  3,762  city  lots,  worth  at  least  $10,000,000  for 
taxable  purposes. 

Now,  instead  of  paying  damages  to  the  owrners  of  lands  on  each  side 
of  the  Harlem  River  between  the  points  named,  I  would  suggest  that  the 
owners  may  fill  up  the  land  under  water  out  to  the  middle  of  the  river  in 
front  of  their  grants,  and  make  it  dry  land  and  build  the  proposed  covered 
waterway,  and  that  they  shall,  on  fair  terms,  be  given  a  good  title  to  the 
land  thus  reclaimed. 

By  filling  in  the  Harlem  River  between  Third  and  Eighth  avenues,  and 
extending  Undercliff  avenue  from  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth  street 
northerly  until  it  intersects  the  proposed  River  street  at  about  One  Hun- 
dred and  Sixty -fifth  street,  not  only  will  the  expenditure  of  $8,500,000  by 
the  City  be  saved,  but  fully  810,000.000  of  taxable  property  will  be  added 
to  the  assessment  rolls,  besides  increasing  the  values  of  other  property  in 
Harlem,  and  in  the  Twenty-third  and  Twenty-fourth  Wards,  each  to  an 
extent  of  over  $50,000,000,  and  at  the  same  time  secure  the  blessings  aud 
gratitude  of  the  present  and  of  future  generations. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be, 
Gentlemen, 

Y'ours  most  respectfully, 

Simon  Stevens. 


21 


APPENDIX. 

NOTE— MARCH  8th,  1892, 

As  I  had  not  the  opportunity  to  make  a  verbal  statement  to  the  Com- 
missioners of  the  Sinking  Fund  March  2,  when  my  monograph  was  pre- 
sented, I  give  here  a  concise  summary  of  each  of  the  six  Harlem  River 
Bridge  Bills  that  have  been  presented  to  the  Legislature  during  the  present 
session  and  the  action  of  the  Assembly  and  Senate  thereon.  And  for 
information  to  those  whom  it  may  concern  I  add  copies  of  a  few,  out  of  a 
great  number  of  newspaper  editorials,  correspondence  and  news  items,  that 
have  reference  to  the  Harlem  River  Improvements. 


WILLIS  AYEXUE  BRIDGE. 

Assembly  Bill  No.  736.    Introduced  by  Mb.  J.  L.  Wells,  February  16,  1892. 

AN  ACT 

To  provide  for  the  construction  of  a  draw-bridge  over  the  Harlem  River  between 
the  northerly  end  of  First  avenue  in  the  Twelfth  Ward  and  the  southerly  end 
of  Willis  avenue  in  the  Twenty-third  Ward  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

Summary. 

It  provides  that  the  Commissioners  of  the  Department  of  Parks  may  construct 
a  drawbridge  across  the  Harlem  River  from  Willis  avenue  in  the  Twenuy-third 
Ward  to  First  avenue  in  the  Twelfth  Ward  of  the  City  of  New  York.  The  plans 
and  specifications  for  the  bridge  to  be  approved  by  the  Board  of  Estimate  and 
Apportionment.  The  grades  of  approaches  on  the  northerly  side  of  the  Harlem 
River  must  have  the  approval  of  the  Commissioner  of  Street  Improvements  of  the 
Twenty-third  and  Twenty-fourth  Wards. 

The  expense  of  constructing  the  bridge  and  approaches  not  to  exceed  $1,250,000. 
•  xclusive  of  land  damages. 

Referred  to  the  Committee  on  Affairs  of  Cities. 


THIRD  AVENUE  BRIDGE. 

Assembly  Bill  No.  18.    Introduced  by  Mr.  Webster.  January  12,  1892. 

ACT 

To  provide  for  the  construction  of  a  drawbridge  over  the  Harlem  River  in  the 
City  of  New  York,  and  for  the  removal  of  the  present  bridge  at  Third  avenue 
in  said  City. 

Summary. 

Provides  that  the  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  shall  construct  a  new  bridge 
across  the  Harlem  River,  at  Third  avenue,  as  near  as  possible  in  the  position  occu- 


22 


pied  by  the  present  bridge,  which  shall  be  removed  so  far  as  may  be  necessary  to 
allow  such  construction.  The  Comptroller  is  directed  to  issue  bonds  to  pay  cost  of 
construction,  and  also  for  payment  of  awards  for  damages,  when  authorized  and 
directed  so  to  do  by  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment.  The  interest  on 
such  bonds  not  to  exceed  three  per  cent.,  redeemable  in  not  less  than  20  years, 
the  cost  of  construction  not  to  exceed  $1,500,000,  exclusive  of  damages. 

This  bill  passed  the  Assembly  February  9,  1892,  and  was  sent  to  the  Senate  for 
concurrence. 


FOURTH  AVENUE  BRIDGE. 

Senate  Bill  No.  196.    Introduced  by  Mr.  Hagan,  January  27,  1892. 

AN  ACT 

To  authorize  and  require  an  increased  elevation  of  the  bridge  of  the  New  York  and 
Harlem  Railroad  Company  in  the  City  of  New  York,  over  the  Harlem  River 
above  high  water  of  spring  tides,  and  to  provide  for  all  changes  in  any 
avenues,  streets  and  railroads  that  may.  be  necessary  by  reason  of  such 
increased  elevation  of  said  bridge  and  for  other  purposes. 

Summary. 

It  provides  for  raising  the  Fourth  Avenue  Railroad  Bridge  to  a  height  of  24 
feet  above  the  high  water  of  spring  tides ;  provides  that  the  draw  of  the  new  bridge 
shall  only  be  open  to  steam  vessels,  and  only  between  the  hours  of  10  A.  M.  and  5 
P.  M.;  authorizes  the  railroad  company  to  raise  its  grade  on  each  side  of  the  bridge. 

It  releases  the  railroad  company  from  its  obligation  to  maintain  the  present 
bridges  over  the  New  York  and  Harlem  Railroad,  which  will  be  interfered  with  by 
the  change  of  grade,  but  requires  it  to  make  and  maintain  in  lieu  thereof  bridges  at 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth.  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-seventh,  One  Hundred 
and  Twenty-eighth  and  One  Hundred  and  Twent3r-ninth  streets,  and  at  roadways 
at  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second  and  One  hundred  and  Thirty-third  streets,  and 
at  the  exterior  streets  along  the  southerly  side  of  the  Harlem  River. 

Authorizes  the  company  to  build  a  temporary  bridge  during  the  construction 
of  the  new  bridge,  and  to  occupy  the  streets  necessary  for  the  approaches  to  said 
temporary  bridge. 

Referred  to  the  Committee  on  Commerce  and  Navigation. 


McCOMB'S  DAM  BRIDGE. 

Assembly  Bill  No.  53.    Introduced  by  Mr.  Webster  January  13,  1892. 

ACT 

To  amend  Chapter  207.  Laws  of  1890,  entitled  "  An  Act  to  provide  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  bridge  over  the  Harlem  River  in  the  City  of  New  York." 

Summary. 

Provides  that  the  awards  for  property  taken  shall  not  be  paid  out  of  the 
$1,250,000  appropriated  for  the  bridge. 

This  bill  passed  the  Assembly  January  21,  1892;  also  passed  the  Senate  and 
became  a  law  by  constitutional  provision,  January,  1892. 


23 


■ 

BRIDGE  AT  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FORTY-FIFTH  STREET, 
HARLEM,  TO  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FORTY-NINTH 
STREET,  MORRIS ANI A. 

Assembly  Bill  No.  734.    Introduced  by  Mr.  J.  L.  Wells  February  16,  1892. 

AN  ACT 

To  provide  for  the  construction  of  a  drawbridge  over  the  Harlem  River  connecting 
the  easterly  end  of  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fifth  street  in  the  Twelfth  Ward 
with  the  westerly  end  of  One  Hundred  and  Forty-ninth  street  in  the 
Twenty-third  Ward  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

[The  provisions  of  this  bill  are  precisely  similar  in  terms  to  those  relating  to  the 
bridge  from  Willis  avenue.] 

The  expense  of  constructing  the  bridge  shall  not  exceed  $1, 000, 000;  expense 
for  land  damage  not  included. 

Referred  to  the  Committee  on  Affairs  of  Cities. 


KINGSBRIDGE.  ■ 

Assembly  Bill  No.  17.    Introduced  by  Mr.  Webster  January  12,  1892. 

AN  ACT 

To  provide  for  the  construction  of  a  bridge  over  the  Harlem  Ship  Canal  in  the  City 

of  New  York. 

Summary. 

Authorizes  the  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  to  construct  of  stone,  iron  and 
steel,  a  suitable  bridge  across  the  Harlem  Ship  Canal,  on  the  line  of  the  Kingsbridge 
road.    Cost  not  to  exceed  $400,000,  not  including  awards  for  damages. 

The  plans  and  specifications  for  the  bridge  and  proposed  changes  in  the  grade 
line  of  the  streets  and  avenues  shall  first  be  approved  by  the  Board  of  Estimate  and 
Apportionment,  and  said  bridge  shall  be  completed  within  three  years  after  approval 
by  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment,  and  the  Comptroller,  when  directed  by 
said  Board,  shall  issue  bonds  bearing  not  more  than  4  per  cent,  interest,  redeem- 
able in  not  less  than  twenty  years  from  date,  for  defraying  expenses  of  construc- 
tion, etc. 

[There  are  no  provisions  for  draws  as  are  in  all  other  bridge  bills.] 
The  bill  passed  the  Assembly  February  1G,  1892,  and  was  sent  to  the  Senate  for 
concurrence. 


On  March  1st,  1892,  there  was  a  joint  session  of  the  Senate  and  Assembly  Com- 
mittees to  give  interested  parties  a  hearing  on  Mr.  Hagan's  Fourth  Avenue  Bridge 
Bill.  The  New  York  Times,  of  March  2,  contains  the  following  letter  from  its 
Albany  correspondent  : 

CHAUNCEY  TELLS  A  STOKY. 


MR.  DEPEW  BEFORE  A  JOINT  LEGISLATIVE  COMMITTEE. 


THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CENTRAL  ARGUES  IN  FAVOR  OF  THE  BILL  TO  RAISE  THE 
RAILROAD  BRIDGE  ACROSS  THE  HARLEM. 

Albany,  March  1. — Chauncey  M.  Depew  was  paid  distinguished  honors  by  the 
Legislature  to-day.  He  arrived  at  the  Capitol  about  12:30  o'clock,  having  run  up 
from  New  York  in  order  to  appear  before  the  joint  committees  of  the  Senate  and 


'24 


the  House  this  afternoon  on  the  Hagan  bill  to  permit  the  New  York  Central  Rail- 
way to  raise  its  bridge  over  the  Harlem  in  order  to  conform  with  the  requirements 
of  the  Federal  statutes  and  the  regulations  of  the  War  Department.  With  Mr. 
Depew  were  Mr.  H.  Walter  Webb,  third  vice-president  of  the  New  York  Central 
Road  :  Frank  Loomis,  the  company's  counsel,  and  John  M.  Bowers. 

At  this  afternoon's  hearing  Mr.  Depew.  John  M.  Bowers,  attorney  for  the  New 
York  Central ;  Assemblyman  Wells  (Rep.,  N.  Y.),  and  George  H.  P.  McVay,  edi- 
tor of  the  "  Up-Town  Express,"  appeared  for  the  bill.  There  were  also  present  Mr. 
H.  Walter  Webb  and  Mr.  Loomis.  Against  the  bill  appeared  Charles  W.  Dayton, 
representing  the  Up-town  Property  Owners'  Association,  and  Assemblyman  George 
P.  Webster  (Dem.,  N.  Y.).  One  of  the  curious  features  of  the  hearing  was  the 
position  taken  by  this  same  Col.  Webster  as  a  defender  of  the  rights  of  the  property 
owners  of  the  annexed  district.  It  will  be  remembered  that  no  longer  ago  than 
last  week  he  was  one  of  the  strongest  advocates  of  the  41  Huckleberry  Road  "  bill, 
which  proposes  to  gridiron  the  Twenty-third  and  Twenty-fourth  Wards,  in  spite  of 
the  protest  of  and  without  regard  to  the  rights  of  the  taxpa\7ers  of  that  section. 
The  Senate  Chamber  was  crowded.  Mr.  Depew  led  off  in  the  discussion.  He 
spoke  substantially  as  follows  : 

Mb.  Chaikman  and  Gentlemen— The  railroad  company  is  usually  before  the 
Legislature  either  to  advocate  or  to  oppose  a  measure.  It  either  wants  something 
or  it  wants  to  prevent  something  from  being  done.  But  we  are  here  to-day  in  an 
entirely  novel  position.  We  are  here  rather  to  take  the  advice  of  the  Legislature. 
It  can  hardly  be  said  that  it  is  something  that  we  care  to  oppose  or  someFhing  we 
wish  to  advocate.  It  is  a  position  which  is  forced  upon  us  by  an  enterprise  entirely 
outside  of  the  operations  of  the  railway  company  or  of  the  usual  improvements  in 
the  city  through  which  we  run.  We  find  ourselves  in  this  position  :  Twenty  years 
ago  we  settled  with  the  City  of  New  York,  at  a  large  expense  to  ourselves  and  a 
considerable  expense  to  the  city,  precisely  what  our  relations  should  be  in  entering 
the  City  of  NewT  York.  We  supposed  that  it  was  settled  for  all  time.  But  a  portion 
of  the  people  living  along  the  Harlem  River  desired  to  have  a  ship  canal,  and  applied 
to  the  General  Government  for  that  purpose.  The  General  Government  adopted  the 
suggestion  and  set  their  engineers  to  work  to  build  the  ship  canal. 

In  the  construction  of  that  canal  the  Government  has  issued  a  peremptory  order 
that  all  bridges  over  the  Harlem  River  shall  be  raised  twenty-four  feet  above  high 
water.  That  applies  to  citjT  bridges  and  to  the  various  railway  bridges.  We  are 
put  in  this  position  :  If  we  obey  the  Government,  as  we  must,  and  put  our  bridge  up 
twenty-four  feet  above  high  water,  then  we  have  to  get  the  privilege  from  the  State 
to  raise  our  grade  on  the  land  on  either  side  to  get  on  the  bridge.  That  is  the  ques- 
tion. If  there  was  no  Harlem  Canal  being  constructed,  this  matter  would  neither 
trouble  the  Legislature  nor  the  citizens  of  Harlem  nor  the  Harlem  Railroad. 

After  giving  a  brief  history  of  the  building  of  the  Harlem  Railroad  and  the 
way  in  which  it  has  met  the  demands  of  New  York's  growth,  Mr.  Depew  con- 
tinued : 

Now  comes  along  this  new  factor,  the  Harlem  River,  and  they  say  now,  "  You 
must  go  up  in  the  air  again,"  so  that  the  Harlem  Railroad  is  put  in  the  position  of  a 
boy  on  the  end  of  a  teeter  board,  which  I  used  to  see  wiien  I  was  in  the  country, 
only  the  boy  on  the  end  of  the  teeter  board  in  the  country  never  was  subjected  to 
any  further  peril  than  falling  off  the  board.  But  wTe  have  to  pay  when  wTe  go  down, 
and  then  pay  again  when  we  go  up,  deriving  no  other  benefit  than  the  pleasure  of 
going  down  in  Uie  first  place  and  then  going  up  again  afterward,  for  wTe  will  do  no 
more traffic  underground  than  wTe  did  on  the  surface,  and  wre«will  do  no  more  traffic 
up  in  the  air  than  we  do  on  the  ground.  We  say,  "  Very  well,  we  are  lawT-abiding 
citizens."  To  construct  this  bridge  and  elevate  our  tracks  on  both  sides  and  do  ail 
this  work  will  cost  us  in  the  neighborhood  of  $3,000,000.  As  law-abiding  citizens 
we  are  willing  to  spend  this  f 3,000,000  for  the  general  good,  and  we  want  to  do  it 
in  a  way  which  will  do  the  least  possible  damage  to  our  neighbors. 

As  you  will  see  from  the  explanation  which  I  have  given,  the  carrying  of  the 
railway  "up  at  an  expense  of  $3,000,000  to  it,  wiiatever  damage  there  may  be  to  the 
property  by  carrying  the  railway  up,  is  the  assessment  which  we  all  pay,  for  what  ? 

I  am  not  here  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  the  Harlem  Canal,  although  I  have 
very  clear  notions  on  the  subject.  I  think  when  every  city  in  the  wrorld  which  has 
a  river  running  through  it  is  building  solid  bridges  at  every  avenue  and  compelling 
by  legislation  every  craft  which  wants  to  navigate  the  river  to  hinge  its  masts  and 


25 


smoke  pipes  and  go  under :  when  every  city  in  the  world  which  is  divided  by  a 
river  is  using  every  resource  which  engineering  skill  can  devise  to  tie  itself  to- 
gether— I  take  for  example  the  City  of  New  York,  which  has  water  on  three  sides — 
to  induce  the  General  Government  to  cut  itself  in  two  in  order  to  have  water  on  all 
sides,  is  about  the  most  monstrous  piece  of  folly  of  which  I  know.  However,  the 
Legislature  has  nothing  to  do  with  that.  AVe  are  here  to  meet  the  case  as  it  is  pre- 
sented by  these  conditions. 

Now,  as  soon  as  the  Government  made  this  demand  upon  us  to  raise  our  bridge, 
we  directed  the  engineers  of  the  Harlem  Railway  Company  to  prepare  a  plan  of  a 
bridge  which  would  meet  the  requirements  of  the  Government,  which  they  have 
done.  Then  we  said  to  them,  "  Now  we  want  you  to  prepare  apian  by  which 
we  can  get  onto  that  bridge  on  a  grade  which  will  permit  us  to  haul  the  heavy 
trains  that  carry  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York  and  the  people  of  New 
England  and  the  people  of  the  West  into  the  city,  and  which  constitute  at  least  a 
quarter  of  the  travel  going  over  that  line  ;  at  least  a  quarter  of  the  travel  which 
makes  the  inland  traffic  which  makes  the  importance  of  the  City  of  New  York." 

Here  we  are  met  at  this  point  by  this  difficulty  :  As  we  rise  out  of  the  cut  in 
which  we  now  are,  and  where  we  were  placed  by  the  Legislature  of  1872,  we  are 
compelled  to  take  away  the  bridges  which  now  cross  our  viaduct,  ou  gentlemen 
who  do  not  live  in  New  York  may  not  know  exactly  how  we  are  situated  there. 
Through  Harlem  we  run  in  a  deep  cut,  and  the  streets  are  carried  over  by  bridges. 
In  order  to  get  onto  this  bridge  across  the  Harlem  Kiver,  which  the  Government 
says  we  must  raise  twenty-four  feet,  we  have  to  come  out  of  this  cut,  and  coming 
out  of  this  cut  we  have  to  take  away  the  present  road  bridges  at  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-sixth,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-seventh,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth 
and  One  Hundred  and  Twent}r-ninth  streets  and  substitute  for  the  road  bridges  foot 
bridges  passing  up  and  crossing  over.  But  there  is  this  compensation  that  we 
have,  that  One  Hundred  and  Thirtieth,  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-first,  One  Hundred 
and  Thirty-second,  and  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-third  streets,  and  the  river  avenue 
which  is  to  be,  but  is  not  yet,  constructed,  by  our  elevating  the  tracks,  can  pass 
under.  Now,  they  arc  absolutely  barred  from  going  across,  because  they  are  not 
high  enough  to  go  over,  and  are  not  low  enough  to  go  under.  So  that,  ou  the  score 
of  the  number  of  streets  that  are  opened  and  closed,  we  probably  open  as  many 
as  we  close,  only  my  friends  from  Harlem  will  claim,  and  rightly,  that  at  present 
the  streets  that  we  close  for  the  bridges  across  are  very  much  more  important  in 
the  value  of  the  property  upon  them  than  the  streets  that  we  open.  But  we  think 
the  streets  that  we  open,  when  opened,  will  probably  in  a  few  years  be  as  valuable 
as  those  which  we  close. 

When  we  cross  the  river  on  the  other  side  in  the  annexed  district,  then  our 
bridge  is  of  great  advantage  to  that  district.  As  you  will  remember,  as  you  come 
down  to  the  Harlem  River,  all  the  great  avenues  which  carry  the  annexed  district — 
that  is,  Morrisania  and  Mott  Haven — across  the  Madison  Avenue  Bridge  into  Har- 
lem cross  our  tracks  at  grade  at  Mott  Haven  Station.  The  number  of  trains  are 
becoming  so  frequent  there— and  they  will  grow  more  and  more  frequent  every 
year — that  it  is  almost  impossible  now  to  have  the  gates  opened  long  enough  for 
any  traffic  to  go  across.  I  look  to  a  time  when  the  increasing  population  of  the 
suburbs  of  New  York,  out  on  the  New  Haven  Road  in  that  direction,  out  on  the 
Harlem  Road  north,  out  on  the  Spuyten  Duyvil  and  Hudson  River  Road  this  way, 
with  the  increasing  population  living  in  the  country  or  in  the  annexed  district 
within  the  corporate  limits  of  the  City  of  New  York,  and  doing  business  in  New 
York,  will  be  so  great  that  trains  will  be  running  there  for  three  hours  in  the  morn- 
ing and  three  hours  in  the  afternoon  at  not  less  than  three-minute  headwa}\  That 
will  make  it  utterly  impossible  for  anybody  to  cross  those  streets  and  will  cut  off 
access  entirely. 

Coming  off  of  the  bridge  at  this  high  grade,  and  coming  down  so  far  beyond 
Mott  avenue  and  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth  street  are  carried  under,  so  that 
free  circulation  is  given  to  the  annexed  district,  and  undoubtedly  that  is  one  of  the 
greatest  improvements  so  far  as  the  City  of  New  York  is  concerned  as  a  whole 
that  could  possibly  be  made.  So  far  as  the  City  of  New  York  as  a  wrhole  is  con- 
cerned, it  undoubtedly  confers  benefits  which  are  greater  than  any  damages  which 
possibly  could  be  ciphered  out  in  that  part  of  Harlem  where  the  road  bridges  are 
substituted  for  foot  bridges. 

There  has  been  a  claim  made  that  we  should  go  under.    The  City  of  New  York 


26 


is  carrying  all  its  bridges  over  in  the  air  twentv-four  feet  above  high  water,  and  is 
doing  it  at  an  expense  of  from  $15,000,000  to  $20,000,000.  The  New  York  City  and 
Northern  Road  carries  its  bridge  over  above  the  water,  the  Suburban  Rapid  Transit 
carries  its  bridge  over  above  the  water.  The  Second  Avenue  has  its  charter,  and  is 
about  to  build  a  bridge  over  above  the  water,  and  it  seems  rather  singular  that  where 
there  are  some  thirteen  streets  and  avenues  to  be  carried  across  on  bridges  and 
three  railroads  to  be  carried  across  on  bridges,  the  demand  should  be  made  that  the 
Harlem  Railroad  should  go  under,  because  we  think  we  are  quite  as  good  citizens 
and  entitled  to  quite  as  good  treatment  as  our  neighbors.  All  we  want  is  to  be 
treated  precisely  the  same,  or  as  a  story  that  I  once  heard — is  it  allowable  to  tell  a 
story  ? 

Senator  McCarren  :  Certainly  ;  tell  all  the  stories  you  like. 

Me.  Depew  :  A  friend  of  mine  in  his  youth  was  a  wild  boy  and  took  passage 
before  the  mast  on  a  whaler.  He  said  the  captain  was  an  exceedingly  crusty  man, 
and  the  mate  an  exceedingly  intelligent  one.  One  day  the  mate  thought  that  he 
spied  a  whale,  and  he  shouted,  "  There  she  blows."  The  captain  said,  "  I  see  no 
blows."  He  shouted  again  in  a  little  while,  "There  she  blows  and  there  she 
spouts."  The  captain  said,  "  I  see  no  blows  and  I  see  no  spout."  In  a  little  while 
the  mate  cried  again,  "  There  she  blows  and  there  she  spouts."  The  captain  said, 
"  Well,  Mr.  Jones,  if  you  think  there  she  blows  and  there  she  spouts  again,  lower  a 
a  boat  and  go  for  her."  And  the  mate  did,  and  came  back  with  a  whale  which  tried 
out  eighty  barrels  of  oil,  which  in  those  days  was  to  be  divided  among  the  captain 
and  the  crew,  ratably.  The  captain  said,  "  Mr.  Jones,  you  have  done  well.  I  feel 
that  when  we  get  back  to  New  Bedford  you  will  be  promoted  ;  you  will  be  rewarded. 
Certainly  you  will  have  a  series  of  complimentary  resolutions  passed."  Mr.  Jones 
said,  "  Captain,  I  don't  want  no  promotion,  and  I  don't  want  no  reward,  and  I  don't 
want  no  resolutions  ;  but  all  I  do  want  while  I  am  on  this  ship  is  common  civility, 
and  that  of  the— — common  kind."  All  the  Harlem  Railroad  asks  in  this  legislation 
is  that  it  shall  have  the  commonest  kind  of  treatment  that  is  awarded  to  the  hum- 
blest o'f  the  people  who  are  similarly  situated. 

In  regard  to  the  tunnel,  there  are  engineering  difficulties  which  are  practically 
insuperable.  I  do  not  think  in  these  days  anybody  wants  to  ride  in  a  tunnel  if  they 
can  go  in  the  open  air.  No  American  wTants  to  go  underground  until  he  is  dead, 
aud  he  wants  to  postpone  that  happy  event  as  long  as  possible.  You  must  rerr  em- 
ber that  while  this  improvement  affects  only  four  blocks  in  Harlem — and  I  am  not 
saying  anything  about  those  four  blocks,  the}^  have  rights  which  certainly  we  do 
not  want  to  trench  upon — that  while  it  affects  injuriously  only  four  blocks  in 
Harlem,  it  affects  in  another  sense  10,000  working  men  who  go  daily  to  their  work 
in  the  Citj-  of  New  York. 

It  affects  25,000.000  or  30,000,000  people  who  cross  this  bridge  visiting  the  City 
of  New  York.  Their  convenience  and  their  comfort  have  a  good  deal  to  do  with 
this  question.  With  the  Harlem  Canal  and  our  bridge  as  it  is  now,  and  with  the 
navigation  of  the  Harlem  River  as  it  is  now,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  every  one  of  our 
work  trains  that  come  in  in  the  morning  is  detained  twenty  minutes.  From  every 
man  going  to  work,  whether  he  is  a  clerk,  whether  he  is  a  laborer,  or  whether  he  is 
a  mechanic,  there  is  twenty  minutes  taken  out  of  his  time.  That  twenty  minutes 
is  taken  out  of  his  pay:  that  twenty  minutes  sometimes  affects  his  holding  his 
place,  for  many  of  them  have  lost  places  through  this  delay  at  the  Harlem  draw- 
bridge. It  does  not  affect  the  railroad  in  its  earnings,  because  these  people  have  to 
ride  upon  the  railroad,  but  it  does  affect  these  people,  most  of  whom  live  and  vote 
in  the  City  of  New  York  in  the  annexed  district.  A  tunnel  would  compel  the  taking 
down  of  our  viaduct,  because  a  railroad  cannot  run  up  and  down  hill.  It  has  to 
run  on  a  grade,  and  that  grade  has  to  be  such  that  these  heavy  modern  cars  can  be 
drawn  over  it.  To  build  a  tunnel  we  must  commence  to  go  down  at  Ninety-sixth  street 
and  take  down  our  viaduct.  All  the  streets  from  Ninety-sixth  to  One  Hundred  and 
Twelfth  street  pass  under  the  viaduct  free.  In  order  to  have  a  tunnel  wre  would 
have  to  take  down  the  viaduct  and  close  every  one  of  those  streets,  so  that,  while 
it  would  leave  the  four  streets  in  upper  Harlem  as  the}r  are  now,  it  would  close 
twelve  or  more  streets  in  lower  Harlem,  inflicting  infinitely  more  damage  than  the 
possible  damage  that  could  come  iu  the  passage  of  this  bill. 

With  the  "Government  demanding  that  there  shall  be  20  feet  of  water  at  low 
tide  ;  with  the  necessity  of  lowering  our  present  grade  10  feet  to  get  to  the  water  at 
high  tide  ;  with  the  necessity  of  having  at  least  6  feet  of  mud  above  the  arch  ;  with 


27 


the  necessity  of  having  at  least  six  feet  of  arch  to  support  this  great  weight  of  river 
craft  and  mud,  and  15  to  10  feet  of  headway  below,  we  are  about  60  feet  below  our 
present  grade  when  we  are  in  the  middle  of  the  Harlem  River,  and  that  would 
make  us  60  below  at  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth  street,  which  is  our  present 
station  at  Harlem.  We  would  have  to  abandon  that  station.  We  could  not  come 
to  the  surface  until  we  passed  Melrose,  which  would  compel  us  to  abandon  every 
station  in  the  annexed  district  on  the  Harlem  Road  and  on  the  Spuyten  Duyvil 
Road,  on  account  of  our  track  being  on  the  level  of  the  river  all  the  way  along.  We 
would  have  to  make  a  water-tight  arch,  carrying  us  under  Cromwell  Creek  and 
bringing  us  out  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  Broadway,  so  that  there  would 
not  be,  practically,  a  single  station  iu  the  annexed  district.  As  far  as  the  Harlem 
Railroad,  the  Spuyten  Duyvil  and  Hudson  River  Railroad,  and  the  New  Haven 
Railroad  are  concerned,  the  annexed  district  would  be  absolutely  cut  off  from  the 
City  of  New  York  by  a  tunnel.  1  think  it  would  be  a  calamity  happening  to  the 
annexed  district  which  would  be  equivalent  to  the  confiscation  of  the  district. 

In  these  days  when  we  are  talking  about  rapid  transit  and  about  tying  the  City 
of  New  York  together,  when  we  are  talking  about  making  the  metropolis  what  it 
ought  to  be.  not  only  the  first  city  in  the  country  in  all  that  constitutes  a  great  city, 
but  the  first  city  in  the  rapid  means  of  communication  between  its  different  parts — 
rapid  and  cheap — to  talk  of  going  back  to  methods  by  which  that  communication 
shall  be  prevented,  is  like  asking  that  Harlem  shall  be  turned  back  to  the  condi- 
tion when  it  was  a  happy  hunting  ground  at  the  time  when  Peter  Stuyvesant  ruled 
over  the  City  of  New  York.  That  is  precisely  our  position.  This  bill  has  been  pre- 
pared by  the  engineers  of  the  Harlem  Railroad  Company,  while  the  city  engineers 
commit  themselves  to  nothing,  as  I  understand  it ;  yet  the}-  approve  of  it  as  to  form 
and  as  to  expediency.  The  Government  is  bound  to  build  this  canal  ;  the  Govern- 
ment has  ordered  the  bridges  up  twenty-four  feet;  the  Government  has  said  that 
the  State  now  must  put  the  railroad  up  there.  The  Government,  of  course,  cannot 
compel  the  State  to  put  the  railroad  there,  but  the  Government  can  abandon  the 
canal.  If  the  State  refuses  to  permit  the  rest  of  the  country  to  reach  the  City  of 
New  York  across  the  Harlem  River,  so  far  as  the  Harlem  Railroad  is  concerned, 
whatever  you  direct  it  to  do  it  will  cheerfully  do,  no  matter  what  it  is.  Whatever 
you  direct  it  to  do  is  a  burden  upon  the  railroad  company  and  no  benefit  to  it  what- 
ever. The  benefits  are  to  the  Harlem  Canal  and  to  the  people  of  the  annexed  dis- 
trict who  will,  by  this  improvement  as  suggested  by  us,  have  an  additional  valuation 
given  to  their  property,  in  affording  free  circulation  to  the  streets  that  are  closed 
by  now  being  on  the  grade,  and  will  have  additional  benefit  given  to  it  by  having 
the  detention  at  the  Harlem  draw  taken  away,  so  that  that  their  people  can  go  back- 
ward and  forward  on  time. 

After  Mr.  Depew  came  'Sir.  Dayton.  He  said  that  the  taxpayers  and  property 
owners  of  the  district  affected  would  be  damaged  to  the  extent  of  many  millions  of 
dollars  by  the  proposed  change  He  said  that  a  tunnel  would  injure  to  a  less  extent 
the  property  in  the  neighborhood,  and  thought  that  scheme  should  be  adopted  by 
the  road. 

Mr.  Webster  started  off  with  the  unique  statement  (from  him)  that  he  didn't 
wish  to  disparage  corporations,  for  they  were  undoubtedly  necessary  evils,  but  he 
thought  that  when  the  public  was  dealing  with  them  it  would  do  well  to  have  the 
exact  terms  of  the  contract  on  paper.  The  bill  under  discussion,  he  thought,  waa 
not  sufficiently  specific.  For  instance,  the  city  authorities  were  given  no  voice  in 
the  building  of  the  bridge.  The  bridge,  if  built,  would  close  the  streets  from  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth  to  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fifth,  and  would  throw  the 
entire  traffic  of  the  district  into  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth  street,  which  was 
already  overtaxed. 

Mr.  McVay  said  that,  as  the  editor  of  a  paper,  he  was  well  qualified  to  know 
what  the  people  of  the  district  really  wanted.  He  thought  that  they  were  almost 
unanimously  in  favor  of  a  bridge,  since  it  would  very  greatly  facilitate  transit  be- 
tween the  district  above  the  Harlem  and  the  rest  of  the  city. 

Assemblyman  Wells  (Rep.,  New  York)  called  attention  to  Col.  Webster's  sud- 
den change  of  front,  and  then  spoke  at  some  length  in  favor  of  the  bill.  Mr. 
Powers  closed  the  discussion  by  pointing  out  the  impossibility  of  the  tunnel  scheme, 
both  because  it  would  cost  very  much  more  than  the  bridge  and  because  the  average 
American  objected  to  riding  underground  if  it  could  possibly  be  avoided.  The 
Central  Road,  he  said,  was  ready  and  willing  to  do  everything  that  was  fair  to  com- 


28 


pensate  property  owners  for  damages  done  them,  and  be  proposed  that  the  hearing- 
be  adjourned  in  order  that  the  property  owners  and  the  road  might  come  to  some 
satisfactory  arrangement.  The  hearing  was,  therefore,  put  over  until  next  week, 
Wednesday,  at  3  o'clock. 


EDITORIAL  FROM  THE  "EVENING  SUN  "  OF  MARCH  2,  1892. 
The  Harlem  Ship  Canal. 

The  real  ordinary  everyday  public  opinion  of  New  York  City  should  be  aroused 
about  the  injuries  likely  to  be  clone  to  the  city  by  making  a  second  Suez  Canal  out 
of  the  bed  of  the  Harlem  River.  Up  to  the  present  the  agitation  in  favor  of  a  ship 
canal  twenty  feet  deep  has  been  carried  on  for  the  most  part  by  real  estate  specu- 
lators. Primarily  these  speculators  are  not  intent  on  building  up  the  Annexed  Dis- 
trict as  a  whole,  but  only  on  booming  the  strip  of  property  which  they  control  on 
either  side  of  the  proposed  canal. 

That  there  should  be  a  canal  connecting  the  East  and  North  Rivers  has  become 
a  hoary  and  time-honored  fetich.  But  it  is  evident,  even  to  the  most  careless  ob- 
server, that  the  dream  of  great  argosies  passing  through  the  Sound,  through  Hell 
Gate  to  the  North  River,  and  so  to  Albany,  to  get  laden  with  furs  from  the  Far 
West,  was  rudely  shattered  with  the  invention  of  modern  railway  transportation. 
Who  will  now  prophesy  that  the  "  Teutonic  "  or  the  "  City  of  New  York  "  will  one 
day  sail  proudly  up  the  Harlem  sewer  to  reach  her  dock  on  the  North  River? 

Every  city  long  enough  established  in  the  world  has  reached  a  point  when  the 
rights  of  the  citizens  as  a  body  must  overrule  the  private  greed  of  a  few  of  their 
number.  Much  of  London's  growth  is  attributable  to  the  fact  that  free  navigation 
stops  at  London  Bridge,  though  the  Thames  is  deep  enough  and  wide  enough  to 
carrv  ships  for  miles  above  that  point.  Where  would  Paris  be  to-day  in  the  rank 
of  me  world's  great  cities  if  it  were  not  for  the  convenience  of  access  to  it  by  the 
fixed  bridges  over  the  Seine  ?  Belfast,  the  most  prospering  and  Americanlike  city 
in  Great  Britain,  dates  her  leaps  and  bounds  of  growth  from  the  day  she  took  the 
Blackstaff,  her  Harlem  River,  straightened  its  bed,  and  made  it  simply  the  main 
sewer  of  a  noble  avenue. 

The  delays  and  inconveniences  caused  by  the  Harlem  drawbridges  are  every 
day  driving  thousands  of  residents  to  Long  Island  and  New  Jersey.  It  is  mons- 
trous that  the  chief  arteries  of  land  communication  should  be  plugged  while  a 
lugger  laden  with  brick  wallops  her  way  past  open  drawbridges.  Why  not  make 
such  vessels  have  folding  masts  rather  than  stop  vital  traffic  for  their  picayune 
convenience  ? 

Of  course  the  senseless  clamor  of  cheap  demagogues  is  always  urged  against 
such  reasonable  propositions  as  reducing  the  Harlem  Canal  to  its  useful  limit,  or 
rilling  it  up  altogether,  because  it  flatters  them  to  imagine  that  they  are  fighting 
great  corporations  in  the  interests  of  the  people.  This  conduct  is  on  a  par  with 
that  of  the  ideal  "Hayseed,"  who  is  afraid  to  put  his  money  in  a  bank,  yet  gives  it 
willingly  to  the  first  bunco  steerer  he  meets.  The  real  question  at  issue  is,  what 
will  most  benefit  the  citizens  of  New  York  as  a  body  ?  This  question  has  nothing 
to  do  with  individual  injuries  or  benefits  to  any  corporation  or  group  of  specu- 
lators. 


EDITORIAL  FROM  THE  N.  Y.  SUN  OF  MARCH  3,  1892. 
The  Filling  In  of  the  Harlem. 

A  modified  plan  for  filling  in  a  large  part  of  the  Harlem  River  was  brought 
before  the  Commissioners  of  the  Sinking  Fund  yesterday.  It  would  doubtless 
affect  very  materially  certain  real  estate  interests  which  are  not  specified  and  which 
we  have  no  means  of  identifying,  but  it  has  decided  merits  and  it  should  receive 
the  most  careful  consideration. 

Any  intelligent  plan  that  in  part  or  in  whole  will  do  away  with  the  Harlem 
River  and  give  relief  to  the  city  on  its  northern  boundary  deserves  earnest  atten- 
tion. The  scheme  presented  yesterday  is  most  instructive  in  the  light  that  it  sheds 
upon  the  true  nature  of  the  alleged  Harlem  ship  canal  and  the  other  Harlem  inter- 
ests of  a  purely  private  nature,  in  behalf  of  which  the  growth  of  the  whole  City  of 
New  York  is  throttled  and  arrested. 


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MAP  OF  THE 

HARLEM  RIVER  an  d  SPUYTEN  IHfYYILC 

FROM  WARD'S  ISLAND  m  iiii:  BPCTDSOjN  KIVKI! 

PROJECT  FOB  A  COVERED  WATER-WAY  60  FEET  WIDE. TO  BE  BUILT  ON  THE  WESTERLY  LINE  OF  THE 
HARLEM  RIVER  FROM  THE  EASTERLY  SIDE  OF  THIRD  AVENUE  TO  165'"  STREET.N EW  YORK  CITY, 
AND  FILLINGIN  BETWEEN  THE  POINTS  NAMED,  SOTHATTHE  AVENUES  AND  STREETS  OF  HARLEN 
MAY  BE  EXTENDED  INTO  MORRISAN IA  . 

WAR  DEPARTMENT  MAP  01'  TUE  PIERHEAD  urn  UflJKHEAD  LINE 
HUTU  SIIIIKKSiii'TilK  I1AKI.KM  HIVKH  S.SPU\TEND1  \V1I.  l  ltKEK.NEW  YORK  CITY 


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